(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

WHEATON, Ill. (July 2, 2018)—Gilead Publishing has announced their new fall title lineup spanning a wide range of fiction, including highly anticipated work from well-established authors new to the Gilead family.

Darkwater Secrets (releasing July 17), kicks off the fall season as the first title in critically-acclaimed author Robin Caroll’s new southern mystery and suspense series. The three-book Darkwater Inn series is set in New Orleans’ French Quarter and is slated for publication 2018–2020.

Award-winning authors Deborah Raney and Cynthia Ruchti make their Gilead Publishing debuts in October. Raney’s new romance Reason to Breathe (Oct. 23) asks poignant questions about family, remarriage, and loss. Ruchti’s heartfelt adventure, Miles from Where We Started (Oct. 16), follows a couple on the brink of divorce who find themselves on an unexpected cross-country road trip in a tiny camper.

The season also includes new releases from continuing Gilead authors. Debby Mayne’s Fit to Be Tied (Aug. 28), sequel to High Cotton, is the second in the southern fiction Bucklin Family Reunion series. And acclaimed historical fiction author Liz Tolsma adds When the Heart Sings (Oct. 9) to her Music of Hope series set during WWII.

Phyllis Clark Nichols follows up her 2017 holiday novel, Christmas at Grey Sage—a Debbie Macomber–endorsed release—with another Christmas title, Silent Days, Holy Night (Oct. 30), as well as the first in a new series, Return of the Song (Sept. 18). The Rockwater Suite series is sure to appeal to lovers of music and small town reads alike. Nichols, a trained musician herself, has composed an original song featured in the book, which will be available online as an extra for her fans.

About Gilead Publishing

Gilead Publishing is a new company started in 2016 whose purpose is to publish great fiction, which inspires and encourages readers through its imprints: Gilead (core Christian fiction categories), Enclave (sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural), and Evergreen Farm (titles from Catherine and Peter Marshall, including Christy).

Contact:  Jordan Smith, Marketing Director, Gilead Publishing, jordan@gileadpublishing.com

Best Family Ever, the first book in the Baxter Family Children series, will be released by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in February 2019

New York, NY, June 19, 2018—Paula Wiseman Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, announced today that it will publish Best Family Ever, the first book in The Baxter Family Children middle-grade series by Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling author. Cowritten with Kingsbury’s son, screenwriter and songwriter Tyler Russell, Best Family Ever tells the story of what it was like to grow up in the Baxter family. Best Family Ever will be published in hardcover, eBook, and audio in February 2019 and two additional titles in the series will follow. Paula Wiseman, who will edit the series with assistant editor Sarah Jane Abbott, acquired world rights from Rick Christian at Alive Literary Agency.

Much-loved storyteller Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family books have captured the hearts of millions who have come to think of the Baxter family as their own. In The Baxter Family Children series, Kingsbury and Russell are now telling the childhood stories of the Baxter children—Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke—to inspire and entertain younger readers.

“My kids grew up while I was writing about the Baxter family,” Kingsbury said. “It happened quite naturally that Tyler would write these new books with me. This is a series written by family, about family.”

Brooke is the perfect older sister. For that reason, Kari and Ashley work hard to make their parents just as proud of them as they are of Brooke. Each girl has her own talents. Brooke is an excellent student. Kari is a great soccer player. Ashley, a talented artist. And they are always there for each other. But when the news comes that Dr. Baxter is moving the family from Ann Arbor to Bloomington, Indiana, and the Baxters need to leave the only home and friends they’ve ever known, no one is happy. Saying goodbye is hard but the family still has what’s most important—their faith and their love for each other.

“It’s impossible not to love the Baxter family after reading Karen’s heartwarming stories about their lives,” said Paula Wiseman. “Now, Karen and Tyler are telling the stories of how the Baxter children—Brooke, Kari, Ashely, Erin, and Luke—grew up and the close and supportive family of Elizabeth and John Baxter.  Best Family Ever is inspiring and has all the qualities that make Karen’s adult books so beloved, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be publishing this mother and son team as they introduce this wonderful family to younger readers.”

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books have been developed into a TV series now available everywhere. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near four of their adult children.

Tyler Russell has been telling stories his whole life. In elementary school he won a national award for a kids book he wrote, and he has been writing ever since. In 2015 he graduated college with a BFA from Lipscomb University. Soon after, he sold his first screenplay to Hallmark, which was made into a film that premiered in December of 2017. Along with screenplays and novels, Tyler is a songwriter, singer, actor, and creative who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he enjoys serving his incredible church, adventuring around the city, and spending time with his amazing family.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, comprises the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. Simon & Schuster publishes numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital, and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Touchstone Books, Adams Media, Threshold Editions, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Contact: Nicole Russo, Senior Director of Publicity, 212-632-4940, nicole.russo@simonandschuster.com

WESTMONT, IL—InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce that The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma was given the honorable mention prize for nonfiction: multicultural in this year’s Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

Also named one of the five best religion titles of 2017 by Publisher’s Weekly, The Myth of Equality unpacks what we need to know to be grounded in conversations about today’s race-related issues. Wytsma, founder of the Justice Conference, has gone through his own journey of understanding the underpinnings of inequality and privilege and helps us come to a deeper understanding of both the origins of these issues and the reconciling role we are called to play.

Stephan Bauman, former president and CEO of World Relief, said, “Ken Wytsma goes where few dare to tread. He asks hard questions about race, justice, and equality and presents proven and practical solutions. Above all, Ken personifies these solutions; he is seeking to live justice, not just do it. The message in The Myth of Equality is urgent.”

Each year, Foreword Reviews shines a light on a select group of indie publishers, university presses, and self-published authors whose work stands out from the crowd. Thousands of books are entered each year, and a panel of over 150 librarians and booksellers takes part in the judging, narrowing it down to a group of finalists and winners that represent the best books, all independently published, in sixty-eight categories.

“Awarding the INDIES is an intense months-long judging process and our editorial team and librarian/bookseller judges grow a bit emotional as the announcement date nears,” said Matt Sutherland, Foreword Reviews’ editor-in-chief. “Everyone involved finds it a great honor to recognize all these great books because so many of them have been overlooked by mainstream publications due to the low profile of their publishers and authors. While they don’t have major PR machine[s] or corporate budgets, these indie publishers are passionate about what they do, take chances, and produce a wide range of thought-provoking books.”

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.

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

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Kregel Publications is pleased to announce that three fiction titles have been recognized as Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award winners.

In the historical category, Liar’s Winter by Cindy K. Sproles has been awarded bronze, while in the religious category, If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson took silver, and The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller received honorable mention. Additionally, The Runaway by Claire Wong from Lion Fiction and distributed by Kregel Publications, was awarded gold in general fiction.

The INDIES recognize the best books published in 2017 from small, indie, and university presses, as well as self-published authors. You can view all of the winners at: www.forewordreviews.com/awards/winners/2017/

Kregel Publications is an evangelical Christian publisher that aims to develop and distribute—with integrity and excellence—trusted, biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ.