June 30, 2018, Palm Bay, FL — In a live video event, host Rachel Hauck, an executive board member of American Christian Fiction Writers, announced the 2018 finalists for ACFW’s 2018 Carol Awards, a premier Christian fiction recognition for books published in the previous calendar year. The Carol Award winners will be presented their honors during the gala awards dinner on September 22, 2018, in Nashville as part of ACFW’s annual conference, which will feature Debbie Macomber as keynote speaker.  https://www.acfw.com/conference/

ACFW encourages retailers, librarians, book club coordinators, and avid Christian fiction readers to start here when looking for recommended reading. ACFW 2018 Carol Award finalists are:

Contemporary

• Maybe It’s You by Candace Calvert, Tyndale House, editors Sarah Rische and Jan Stob
• The Long Highway Home by Elizabeth Musser, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor LB Norton
• A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti, Abingdon Press, editors Jamie Chavez and Ramona Richards

Historical

• Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson, Tyndale House, editors Stephanie Broene and Sarah Rische
• A Plain Leaving by Leslie Gould, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Dave Long and Jennifer Veilleux
• Liar’s Winter by Cindy Sproles, Kregel Publications, editor Dawn Anderson

Historical Romance

• A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Karen Schurrer
• The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett, Waterbrook/Multnomah (Random House), editor Shannon Marchese
• Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Jessica Barnes and Dave Long

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

• Four Months in Cuba by Luana Ehrlich, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editors Pat Brown and Jodi Shumway
• Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Ellen Tarver
• Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Amanda Bostic and Erin Healy

Novella

• Puzzle House by Lillian Duncan, Harbourlight Books (Pelican), editor Jamie West
• An Awakened Heart by Jody Hedlund, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Dave Long
• One Enchanted Noel from Enchanted: A Christmas Collection by Melissa Tagg, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Terri Simmons

Romance

• A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese, Waterfall Press, editors Amy Hosford and Sheryl Zajechowski
• Then There Was You by Kara Isaac, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editors Iola Goulton and Halee Matthews
• A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren, Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Andrea Doering and Kristin Kornoelje

Romantic Suspense

• Justice Buried by Patricia Bradley, Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Lonnie Hull DuPont and Kristin Kornoelje
• Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman, Faith Words (Hachette), editor Christina Boys
• The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr

Short Novel

• Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Ami McConnell Abston and Becky Philpott
• A Sweetwater River Romance by Misty M. Beller, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Robin Patchen
• Claiming Her Cowboy by Tina Radcliffe, Love Inspired (Harlequin), editors Melissa Endlich and Giselle Regus

Speculative

• Awakened by Morgan L. Busse, Enclave Publishing, editor Reagen Reed
• Huntress by Julie Hall, Independently Published, editor Rachel Starr Thomson
• King’s Blood by Jill Williamson, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Dave Long and Elisa Tally

Young Adult

• For Love & Honor by Jody Hedlund, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Sara Bierling
• Playing by Heart by Carmela Martino, Vinspire Publishing, editor Dawn Carrington
• Betrayal of the Band by Sarah Tipton, Watershed Books (Pelican Book Group), editor Jamie West

Debut

• Freedom’s Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli, Tyndale House, editors Caleb Sjogren and Jan Stob
• If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson, Kregel Publications, editor Dawn Anderson
• Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano, Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Barbara Barnes and Vicki Crumpton

ACFW’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award will also be given at the annual conference awards gala in September. This year’s recipient is prolific author, speaker, and beloved storyteller, Liz Curtis Higgs. Liz’s contributions to Christian fiction, to encouraging other writers, and to enhancing readers’ understanding of the power of story leads to this honor.

Additional honors to be awarded at the gala include Editor of the Year and Agent of the Year. The nominees are:

ACFW 2018 Agent of the Year Finalists

• Julie Gwinn – The Seymour Agency
• Jim Hart – Hartline Literary Agency
• Natasha Kern – The Natasha Kern Literary Agency

2018 ACFW Editor of the Year Finalists

• Kelsey Bowen – Revell, a Division of Baker Publishing Group
• Andrea Doering – Revell, A Division of Baker Publishing Group
• Robin Patchen – Robin’s Red Pen (freelance)

Complete lists of these and the Genesis Contest finalists (unpublished) are available at https://www.acfw.com/contests/.

ACFW is a professional organization devoted to the craft of Christian Fiction. ACFW’s mission is to empower Christian novelists by inspiring them to join with God in the creative process, training them in the craft, and educating them in the publishing industry. For more information about ACFW, contact acfwrelations@acfw.com or www.acfw.com.

Carol Stream, Ill. – (July 6, 2018)  Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) recently completed its thirty-ninth consecutive year of profitability. As always, the company contributed most of its profit to the Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to ministries across the globe. The profitability of Tyndale House Publishers enables the Tyndale House Foundation to distribute more than four million dollars annually.

Tyndale has always been committed to supporting global mission outreach through both its content and its profits. The profits of Tyndale House Publishers flow directly to Tyndale House Foundation. Tyndale House Publishers’ success means that more funds will be donated to ministry.

According to Tyndale House Publishers’ CFO, Paul Mathews, “In an industry that is always changing, Tyndale has been able to successfully manage its way and remain financially strong. Despite its generous funding of the Tyndale House Foundation grants, the publishing company continues to operate with a debt-free balance sheet.” Mathews adds, “The strong balance sheet allows Tyndale to invest in projects consistent with its values and those it deems financially promising. It funds its own publishing ministry while also giving generously to other good works through the Tyndale House Foundation.”

The Tyndale House Foundation was established by Kenneth and Margaret Taylor in 1963. Tyndale House Publishers’ founder, Dr. Kenneth Taylor, modeled generosity in his personal life as well as through his leadership of Tyndale House. Although he could have been a rich man by keeping the profits for himself, Dr. Taylor was not interested in the accumulation of wealth for his own gain, but for the impact such wealth could have in enabling people to know and discover the truth of God’s love. This is the heart of Tyndale House Publishers—succeeding in their work so that further ministry can happen.

As heirs to this wonderful legacy, Tyndale House Publishers recognizes that everything they have is a gift from God, and if they are to be image bearers of Christ, they need to demonstrate generosity in the way they conduct business.

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

Ada, Mich. (July 9, 2018)—The INSPY Advisory Board recently announced the winners of their 2018 INSPY awards, and two Baker Publishing Group titles were selected. True to You by Becky Wade won in the Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense category, and Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano won in the Debut Fiction category. The INSPYs were created by bloggers to showcase the best novels that grapple with the Christian faith. For the complete list of winners, please visit inspys.com/?p=3877.

True to You by Becky Wade
(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764219368; ebook ISBN 9781441231208; $13.99)

The INSPY Board says, “True to You is a contemporary romance that exudes excellence. The story’s slow-and-steady build-up pulls the reader in.” After a broken engagement, genealogist Nora Bradford decides focusing on her work and her novels is safer than romance. But when John, a former Navy SEAL, hires her to help find his birth mother, the spark between them is undeniable. However, he’s dating someone, and Nora is hesitant. Is she ready to abandon her fictional heroes and risk her heart for real?

Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano
(Revell; ISBN 9780800728755; ebook ISBN 9781493411108; $14.99)

In Lady Jayne Disappears, a young woman the world has written off is secretly the most popular writer of Victorian England . . . but will her own story end as tragically as the heroine in her famous novels? The INSPY Board describes this novel as an “enchanting surprise and a delight to read.” The board was incredibly impressed by the mystery, intrigue, and romance. They state, “One of Politano’s strengths, along with a haunting and unique storyline, was that not all characters turned out as the reader thought.”

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Contact: Ruth Anderson  (616)676-9185 x8131  randerson@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Minneapolis, MN (July 6, 2018) – BroadStreet Publishing® author Kim Crabill announces the launch of her new television series “Burdens to Blessings with Kim Crabill” on July 11, 2018 at 11:30am ET on NRB TV. The new eight-week TV series is based on her book Burdens to Blessings: Discover the Power of Your Story. The show will be broadcasted to millions of viewers in over 40 nations and will be repeated for six months.

Crabill’s book Burdens to Blessings (BroadStreet Publishing, 2016) shares her powerful true story and invites readers along her journey from shame and sadness toward healing and hope. She transparently reveals how the very things we regret the most—things we hope no one ever discovers—are what God wants to use to enrich our lives and the lives of others.

Through the new television series, Crabill hopes that women will embark on a journey of faith and discovery, finding confidence and courage to quit hiding. As they show who they really are, they will be astounded by the blessings that follow both for themselves and for those with whom they share their story.

In addition to the Burdens to Blessings book and TV series, Kim is the new radio host of “COFFEE with Kim” on Up2Me Radio. During COFFEE (Conversations of Friends of Faith to Encourage and Equip), Kim invites special guests to join her in enhancing community and opening the conversation for healing. Listeners can tune into Kim’s new podcast on Mondays at 10:00am EDT through Tune In and On Demand via podcast apps: iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.

Through her Burdens to Blessings TV series, podcast, and book, Kim hopes people will receive this important message: No matter what burdens you bear—from your past or your present—God has the power to turn those burdens into blessings. If you are brave enough to be vulnerable with yourself and others, God can use your greatest pain to help you find your greatest purpose.

For more information about the new television series on NRB TV or Kim Crabill’s ministry or book, please watch this short promotional video here or visit her website her at rosesandrainbows.org.

July 5, 2018— HarperCollins Christian Publishing is pleased to announce authors Sara Ella and Carrie Stuart Parks were among this year’s Inspy Awards winners. The awards were created by bloggers to highlight the very best in fictional literature that grapples with expressions of the Christian faith.

Ella won in the Literature for Young People category for her fantasy novel Unraveling, the second book in her Unblemished fantasy trilogy. The book follows her debut novel, Unblemished, which won a 2017 Inspy in the same category.

Parks won in the Mystery and Thriller category for Portrait of Vengeance. The book is Parks’s fourth with Thomas Nelson, after When Death Draws Near, which was shortlisted for a 2017 Inspy in the Mystery and Thriller category.

“We congratulate all of our authors who were both nominated and who won 2018 Inspy Awards,” said Amanda Bostic, Publisher for Fiction at HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “We also offer a special thanks to everyone involved in the Inspy Award process, as it remains an important avenue for readers to find purposeful, powerful stories.”

The 2018 INSPY Awards season covered books published January 1 – December 31, 2017.

About Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., is a world-leading provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. 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 Contact:  Allison Carter, Senior Publicist
Allison.carter@harpercollins.com  (o) 615-902-2143; (c) 205-223-7085

After an extensive search process, P&R Publishing has hired industry veteran and publishing leader Dave Almack to head up its acquisitions process. In this role he will lead the P&R acquisitions group and serve on the P&R leadership team.

Dave Almack has served in the Christian publishing and retail industry for over twenty years in a variety of roles. For the last eight years, he functioned as the publisher for CLC Publications and National Director for the CLC USA team. In his role as publisher, he was responsible for acquiring a number of key authors for CLC, including Stuart and Jill Briscoe, and developing emerging authors such as Matt Mitchell, Jon Nielson, and David Apple.

P&R Publishing has been serving Christ and his church by producing fresh, clear, insightful, and engaging applications of Reformed theology to life for over 85 years. In the years to come, P&R will be building on its foundation of strong theological resources and books for biblical counseling to develop new titles that help to apply Reformed theology to all of life.

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Nine highly-respected Christian publishing professionals will serve as trainers in the Magazine Publishing Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 September – 6 October, 2018.

The first training event offered by Magazine Training International in Africa, the institute consists of intensive courses on magazine editing, magazine management, and magazine design. Although participants enroll in only one course, daily plenary sessions bring members of all three courses together to demonstrate how each discipline impacts and interacts with the others.

The magazine management course will be taught by David Renard, MediaIDEAS partner; Lou Ann Sabatier, principal, Sabatier Consulting; and Dr. Kirimi Barine, founder of Leadership Today Africa.

Editing course trainers are Jeremy Weber, senior news editor, Christianity Today; Carla Foote, editor of Disciple! and One to One; and Camerin Courtney, senior editor of publications for a nonprofit humanitarian organization.

Headlining the design course are Anne Elhajoui, creative directory for Knight Marketing; Dr. Tamara Welter, associate professor and chair of the Department of Media, Journalism, and Public Relations at Biola University; and Rick Szuecs, designer, Man of Integrity, in Brazil.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer such quality training to Christian publishers in Africa,” says Sharon Mumper, president, Magazine Training International. “Although publishing professionals from some 200 African magazines have used MTI training resources over the years, this will be the first MTI conference in Africa, and marks the start of a 10-year emphasis on the continent.”

More information is available at on our website, on MTIinAfrica and on Facebook.

About Magazine Training International
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 29 years, MTI has offered more than 60 conferences, courses, and seminars in East/Central Europe, Asia, and North America. In addition to courses and conferences, MTI offers training manuals, DVD and MP3 courses, and a website with hundreds of publishing resources.

“A person who has no standard to live by other than the culture of the moment is a person whose personal principles might as well come from the latest public opinion polls.”  – Mike Huckabee

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) June 2018 – Former Governor Mike Huckabee, TV host and bestselling author, is one of the most trusted conservative voices in American politics today. Now, Worthy Publishing is pleased to partner with him in releasing a new book this fall.

In Rare, Medium or Done Well: Make the Most of Your Life (Nov. 2018, $24.99, ISBN 9781683973027), Huckabee challenges our contemporary culture’s transient ideals of “living in the moment,” and instead shares how to live a life that will continue to resonate long after we’re gone.

Throughout the book, in his unique conversational style, Huckabee calls on his own vast experience and life lessons to guide readers on how to be an example that others will follow going-forward.

“Mike Huckabee continues to be a prominent and influential voice in the national debates affecting our nation,” says Byron Williamson, President and Publisher, Worthy Publishing. “He has stood up for his beliefs and has encouraged others to do the same, so we’re extremely honored to partner with him at this point in his distinguished career. He shares his important message about leaving a legacy for future generations.”

Mike Huckabee served as the governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007 and as lieutenant governor from 1993-1996. Before entering politics, he was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister and worked for twelve years as a full time pastor. He recently started a political action committee, HuckPAC, to extend his grassroots movement. He and his wife, Janet, have three grown children and live in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Worthy Publishing Group is a privately held, independent voice in inspirational publishing, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Worthy includes four imprints: Worthy Books publishes inspirational works addressing faith and culture, Christian living, fiction, biblical studies, and specialty Bibles; Museum of the Bible Books is a partnership between Worthy and the Museum, publishing books that reveal the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible; Ellie Claire produces beautifully crafted journals, gifts, and paper expressions; and WorthyKids/Ideals creates colorful, interactive children’s books, including VeggieTales and Berenstain Bears, for ages 1 to 9.

Contact:  Nicole Pavlas, Director of Publicity, Worthy Publishing Group
615.772.7265  nicolep@worthypublishing.com

Releasing October 9, 2018, the Filament Bible NLT brings the strengths of print and digital media together to create a new and exciting Bible experience

Carol Stream, Ill. – (June 28, 2018) Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) has announced that October 9, 2018, will be the release date for the highly anticipated Filament Bible NLT, a cutting-edge print + digital Bible. Several years in development, the Filament Bible NLT (ISBN: 978-1-4964-3631-3, $59.99; 978-1-4964-3317-6, $79.99) introduces a patent-pending print + digital setup that provides opportunities never before featured in a single Bible.

Filament is unique in that the print Bible pairs seamlessly with smartphones or tablets through the Filament app, available free in the App Store and Google Play. The app uses the device’s camera to recognize the page and instantly connects to a rich set of curated content centered around that passage—study notes, profiles, devotionals, interactive maps, videos, and more.

“The concept is powerfully simple,” explains Keith Williams, senior editor for Bibles at Tyndale. “The print Bible features a carefully crafted page design, offering the best possible reading experience in a single-volume print Bible. A line-over-line single-column setting, generous font size and margins, and optimal line length create a strikingly beautiful presentation of God’s Word in a portable package.

“Filament is exciting because it allows us to do things we could never do in a print Bible, like including profiles for every person mentioned on a page or allowing the reader to tap and explore an interactive map,” says Williams. “At the same time, it also allows people to have a clean, uncluttered reading experience with the Bible when they want to engage directly with God’s Word.”

To learn more about Filament Bible NLT and see a video of the product in action, visit http://www.filamentbible.com.

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

Contact:  Maggie Rowe | Sr. Publicist |  Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. | (630) 784.5333