Ada, Mich. (October 15, 2018)—The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance recently announced its Fall 2018 Okra Picks, which are a selection of fresh Southern titles handpicked by SIBA Indie Bookstores for the Fall season, October to December. In Too Deep (Revell; ISBN9780800729295; Ebook ISBN 9781493415038; $15.99) by Lynn H. Blackburn was one of the 18 southern titles chosen as a title not to be missed for the holiday season.

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, publishes books that help bring the Christian faith to everyday life. Whether through fiction, Christian living, self-help, marriage, family, or youth books, each Revell publication reflects relevance, integrity, and excellence.

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

CAROL STREAM, ILL. (October 11, 2018) – Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) has announced that Jeremy Taylor (standing right of Mark Taylor in photo) has been installed as President and CEO of Tyndale House Foundation, effective October 1, 2018. Taylor, who has served on the board of directors of the Foundation since 2005, replaces his father, Mark Taylor, as President and CEO. Mark served as President of the Foundation from 1973 to 2018 and continues as Chairman and CEO of Tyndale House Publishers. Jeremy Taylor is the third president in the Foundation’s history, succeeding Mark Taylor and Dr. Kenneth Taylor.

At an installation service held at Tyndale House Publishers on October 1, Mark Taylor handed Jeremy a baton, symbolizing the transfer of leadership. He said, “In a relay race, each runner carries the baton, and they pass it from hand to hand. My father handed me the leadership of the Foundation in 1973. Today I pass this baton to you as a visual image that I am passing the responsibility of leadership of the Foundation to you. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I hereby install you as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tyndale House Foundation. It’s a big responsibility, but it is a joyful task. May God bless you in all that you do.”

Jeremy responded, “Being asked to carry on the legacy of generosity begun by my grandparents fifty-five years ago is a great honor. The legacy of Dr. and Mrs. Taylor is immense, and the legacy my dad is forging for me is huge as well.” Speaking of the historic relationship between Tyndale House Foundation and Tyndale House Publishers, Jeremy continued, “Dr. Taylor always said that Tyndale is God’s company. We’ve always operated that way. Today, all of us share Ken Taylor’s legacy. Our role is to embrace the legacy, working together and striving to honor God in all we do. Therefore, by God’s grace, in prayerful dependence on him, let us now set ourselves to that task.”

As a fiction editor at Tyndale House Publishers for twenty years, Jeremy Taylor has worked with some of the industry’s top authors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wheaton College and is currently pursuing an MA in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. Jeremy and his wife, Nancy, live with their five children in Wheaton, Illinois.

History of Tyndale House Foundation
Tyndale House Foundation was established by Kenneth and Margaret Taylor in 1963—a year after the initial publication of Living Letters, the New Testament Epistles paraphrased by Dr. Taylor. Though the Taylors had a large family (ten children) and lived on a modest income, Dr. Taylor had a strong conviction that the royalties from Living Letters should be given to God because it was His Word. He established Tyndale House Foundation to distribute these royalties. It was the fulfillment of a goal Dr. Taylor had first expressed a decade earlier – to establish a charitable fund that could make grants to support Christian work around the world.

During the second year of its publication, 600,000 copies of Living Letters were distributed by the Billy Graham Association. The royalties on those copies were the first funds paid into the Foundation.

For over 50 years the Foundation has received all royalties from the sales of Living Letters (1962), The Living Bible (1971) and the New Living Translation (1996). In 2001 Ken and Margaret Taylor transferred ownership of Tyndale House Publishers to the Foundation. As a result, dividends from the profitable operations of the publishing company also now flow to the Foundation.

The Foundation uses all these funds to make grants for Christian ministry around the world.

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.

Entertaining stories and takeaways provide positive insight during uncertain times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 11, 2018) – Charlie Daniels, Grammy®, Dove, and CMA Award-winning musician, beloved American icon, author, and patriot, has penned a new book that shares his signature wit and powerful lessons that he’s learned from traveling and playing all around the world. Let’s All Make the Day Count: The Everyday Wisdom of Charlie Daniels (Thomas Nelson, November 6, 2018) is an entertaining and impactful book for those who have enjoyed his daily “let’s all make the day count” tweets and want to hear more personal stories from his life.

“I have leaned heavily on my personal journey and the times I’ve knocked my head against various walls through the years while learning life’s lessons,” Daniels said. “I’ve excerpted segments of my highest and lowest times, my most devastating defeats and most rewarding victories, and how I’ve come to truly value making the day count, every single day.”

Let’s All Make the Day Count includes 100 readings that cover such topics as starting again after loss; standing your ground; how to be successful; how to show people you care; choosing your words carefully; and many more. Daniels accompanies every story with a Bible verse and a short takeaway.

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and World Outreach Church will host book signings for Let’s All Make the Day Count on Nov. 14 and 25, respectively. Details are as follows:

November 14, 2018
12-1:30 PM, book signing at Phillips Bookstore on MTSU Campus
Phillips Bookstore, 1768 MTSU Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37130

November 25, 2018
10:30 AM, Daniels to perform at World Outreach Church service
11:45 AM, book signing to follow
World Outreach Church, 1921 New Salem Rd., Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Daniels also will release a companion CD of the same name on Nov. 2, available exclusively at Walmart stores, released by Blue Hat Records, distributed by BFD.

The Let’s All Make the Day Count CD will include the following tracks:

1. Southern Boy
2. In America
3. The Legend of Wooley Swamp
4. God Save Us All from Religion
5. My Beautiful America
6. Let’s All Make the Day Count
7. The Devil Went Down to Georgia
8. Nighthawk
9. How Great Thou Art
10. Heaven Can Be Anywhere

Charlie Daniels is available for interviews, and review copies of Let’s All Make the Day Count are available. Please email Stefanie.schroeder@harpercollins.com with requests.

Contacts:

• Stefanie Schroeder, Thomas Nelson, 615.902.1722, Stefanie.schroeder@harpercollins.com
• Don Murry Grubbs, Absolute Publicity, 615.275.8380, don@absolutepublicity.com               
• Paula Szeigis, The Charlie Daniels Band, 615.443.2112 x 123, paulacdb@aol.com

About Charlie Daniels:

From his Dove Award-winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists, and still a road warrior at age 81, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multiplatinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need.

Experience the hope, peace, and joy of the Christmas season

BIRMINGHAM: New Hope Publishers announces the repackage and relaunch of the Christmastime classic, Pursuing the Christ, by best-selling author Jennifer Kennedy Dean. (New Hope/October 1, 2018/ ISBN: 978-1-56309-085-1/$12.99). Already a beloved holiday read, Pursuing the Christ, a thirty-one-day devotional and prayer guide, will help you step away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and experience the hope, peace, and joy Christ intended for this season. Each short daily reading is filled with profound and thought-provoking insights on familiar Christmas verses and some possibly not-so-familiar Messianic passages to help you celebrate the precious gift of Christmas—Jesus Christ—in new and richer ways.

Learn more about Jennifer and Pursuing the Christ. 

Advance Praise

“Jennifer Kennedy Dean has provided an elegant, yet down-to-earth resource to prepare your heart for the coming of the Christ child this Advent season. This thought-provoking invitation to prayer has had a profound and holy effect on my approach to the moment when love came down and the Son of God came to dwell among us.” —Cynthia Ruchti, author of twenty-three books, including An Endless Christmas and Restoring Christmas

“By far my favorite Christmas devotional of all time. Jennifer Kennedy Dean has created an evocative, spiritually rich, intellectually rigorous, emotionally satisfying read. Every entry is unique and engaging, drawing the reader closer to Jesus.” —Tessa Afshar, award-winning author of Land of Silence, Pearl in the Sand, and Harvest of Gold

“Jennifer Kennedy Dean gifts readers with winsome prose and deeply satisfying reminders of the audacious Gift of Jesus Christ. Succinct devotions wrapped in sound teaching underwriting the meaning of Christmas and the hope He brings to a desperate world.” —Julie Barnhill, author, speaker

About the Author

Jennifer Kennedy Dean is executive director of The Praying Life Foundation, a bestselling author, and a respected speaker. She is the author of numerous books, studies, and magazine articles specializing in prayer and spiritual growth.  Her book Heart’s Cry has been named National Day of Prayer’s recommended resource. Her bestselling Bible study, Live a Praying Life^®, has been called a flagship work on prayer. Widely recognized as an unusually gifted communicator of the deep truths of God’s Word, Jennifer speaks all over the world, calling God’s people to discover the difference between “a prayer life” and “a praying life.” Jennifer is the author of such books as Clothed with Power, Set Apart, Power in the Blood of Christ, Power in the Name of Jesus, Altar’d, and Secrets Jesus Shared. She is a board member for Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, a member of America’s National Prayer Committee, a member of National Professional Women Association, and national prayer director and board member for Christian Women in Media.

Learn more about Jennifer Kennedy Dean. 

To request a review copy of Pursuing the Christ, to schedule an interview with Jennifer, or for more information, please contact Meredith Dunn, Meredith@NewHopePublishers.com. 

Grand Rapids, Mich., Oct. 4, 2018 – Veteran TV and film actor, Dondré Whitfield, will release his debut book in the spring of 2020 with Zondervan. Whitfield is represented by Leticia Gomez of Savvy Literary Services in association with Ascendant Group. World rights were acquired by Zondervan acquisitions editor Andy Rogers. 

As a husband, father and relationship coach, Whitfield says manhood is more than a code of behavior and standards. His upcoming release shows how faith serves as the divine model for manhood, as it never acts out of flesh or self-interest. Whitfield will expose the debilitating myths, reverse the negative trends, shatter stereotypes, and spark conversations that will empower males to help the women and children in their lives find their place of peace and purpose.

Passionate about helping address the challenges and pressures of masculine identity in the 21st century, Whitfield is also the co-creator of The Manhood Tour, a global movement committed to awakening the consciousness of men, giving them the keys to effective and impactful leadership, and teaching them how to tap into their talents and live them in the highest degree.

Dondré T. Whitfield is a three-time Emmy nominee best known for his role as Remy Newell on the critically acclaimed series “Queen Sugar,” created and produced by Golden Globe-nominee Ava DuVernay and co-executive produced by Oprah Winfrey on the OWN Network. Whitfield’s career spans over a quarter century and he has appeared with such industry heavyweights as John Travolta, Helen Mirren, David Oyelowo, Michael B. Jordan and Kevin Hart. Whitfield and his wife, actress and director Salli Richardson-Whitfield, live in Los Angeles with their two children.

Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, 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 offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich.  For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Contact: Robin Barnett, 616-698-3251, robin.barnett@harpercollins.com

Grand Rapids, Mich. (October 1, 2018)—Credo Communications is pleased to announce that Karen Neumair is promoted to the position of chief operating officer effective immediately. Neumair’s agenting responsibilities will continue at the company in Grand Rapids and will expand to include agency innovation, staff development, strategic author acquisitions, and oversight of publisher relations.

Neumair joined the company in 2009 as literary agent and was promoted to senior literary agent four years later. She has been a catalyst for explosive growth in the company’s nonfiction department over the last nine years.

“I am pleased to honor Karen’s record of excellence and well-earned reputation for developing flourishing, enduring partnerships with our many authors and publishers. Her new responsibilities will allow Karen to apply her many gifts in greater strategic support of our team and our core markets as the company continues to expand its expertise and influence worldwide,” said Tim Beals, Credo president and CEO.

Credo Communications is a premier literary agency that represents some of the leading Christian thinkers and writers addressing a wide range of needs and interests by faithfully communicating the hope of the gospel message. Credo is directed by the Spirit, distinguished by excellence, and driven by results.

Discover the rich wisdom of voices from the past and present with the NKJV Ancient-Modern Bible 
Beautiful interior design includes exclusive Thomas Nelson NKJV Comfort Print®

Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 28, 2018 – Many things have changed in the last two-thousand years—but the good news of Jesus Christ isn’t one of them.

The NKJV Ancient-Modern Bible is an opportunity for readers to experience the Word of God with fresh eyes, as members of the global and historical community of faith.

A Bible that has been two thousand years in the making, the NKJV Ancient-Modern Bible features all-new book introductions, articles, and commentary from voices both ancient and modern to help readers experience the Word of God as never before. Read the Bible alongside Augustine, Luther, Graham, and others—and discover the rich wisdom of ages past and present, which is the rightful inheritance of every follower of Christ.

“Christians are members of a unique community with a unique text,” says Daniel Marrs, publisher, Thomas Nelson Bible Group. “The church and the Bible are at once ancient and modern, sacred and everyday. The NKJV Ancient-Modern Bible uniquely embodies those realities, through both design and content. Beautiful modern typography and design standards blend seamlessly with sacred art and the insights of Christian thinkers, both past and present, to create a Bible that presents Scripture as holy and unique while speaking accessibly to today’s Christian.”

Grand Rapids, Mich., Sept. 24, 2018 – Sara Hagerty, author of Every Bitter Thing is Sweet and Unseen, has signed a new two-book contract with Zondervan. The first title in the contract, Adore, is set to release in 2020. Hagerty is represented by Mike Salisbury with Yates & Yates and world rights were acquired by Zondervan associate publisher Stephanie Smith.

In Adore, Hagerty invites readers to experience the presence of an unconventional God in the midst of the grit of life through a simple, daily practice.She gives readers a starting place for adoration with thirty attributes of God with which we followers of Him wrestle to see.

Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of six whose arms stretched wide across the expanse between the United States and Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus. God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her. And out of the overflow of this perplexity, came her writing, both on her blog and in her books – Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet and Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to be Noticed.

Zondervan is a world leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.  Zondervan, 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 offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich.  For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

NEW KENSINGTON, PA, September 20, 2018 – Whitaker Corporation announced today that John Whitaker, vice president of Anchor Distributors, has moved with his family to California and stepped down from day-to-day operations at Anchor.

“It’s hard to express how much it has meant for my brother John to have been a part of Whitaker Corporation for all these years,” said Bob Whitaker Jr., president of Whitaker Corporation. The two have worked side by side since 1992 under the tutelage of their late father, Bob Whitaker Sr., the corporation’s founder and former president.

Karen Fulton, who has served as John’s assistant for the last six years, has assumed his responsibilities as the new director of operations.

“Karen has been involved in every aspect of the business at Anchor since she started working here and is a natural fit to assume this role,” said Bob Whitaker.

Prior to joining Whitaker Corporation in April 2012, Fulton served as vice president of Hope & Passion Ministries in Irwin, Pennsylvania. A Fulbright scholar, she attended Kent State University.

With headquarters just east of Pittsburgh, Whitaker Corporation is comprised of Whitaker House, Anchor Distributors, Whitaker House Español, Word Alive Canada, and Smart Kidz Books. A Christian, family-run business established in 1976, it is dedicated to proclaiming the gospel to the lost and flooding the world with life-changing media of eternal value.

(Phoenix, AZ) Steve Laube, president of The Steve Laube Agency, has announced the hiring of Thomas Umstattd, Jr. to become a new Literary Agent.

For many years Thomas helped authors build their web sites via his Author Media company. When he was the marketing director for Enclave Publishing their sales doubled in 18 months. He most recently worked as the Marketing Director for Fahrenheit Marketing which focused on brand development for both corporations and individuals. He is a veteran podcaster with multiple shows including the very popular “Novel Marketing” co-hosted by Jim Rubart.

Thomas is a regular speaker and has spoken at dozens of writers conferences all over the world (including Scotland, Canada and Hawaii). In addition he used a successful Kickstarter campaign to publish his book Courtship in Crisis.

“We continually to look for ways to increase the services our agency provides to current and potential clients,” Steve Laube said. “I have known Thomas for 12 years and by adding him to our agency we can expand our role in helping to maximize our client’s sales through his extensive experience in marketing, branding, and technology. Thomas’ strengths are his understanding of book marketing and what it takes to market yourself as an author. His work enables our authors to fulfill our mission to help change the world, word by word.”

Founded in 2004, The Steve Laube Agency has had a profound impact through managing over 300 authors and securing publishing contracts for over 1,600 new books. These include bestselling titles from authors like Lisa Bergren, Nancy Pearcey, William Lane Craig, Susan May Warren, Lynette Eason, A.W. Tozer, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Ronie Kendig, Deborah Raney, Stephen M. Miller, and Nadine Brandes.

Contact: Steve Laube, 602-336-8910, krichards@stevelaube.com