Ada, Mich. (November 14, 2017)—The winners of the 2017 Christy Awards were announced on Wednesday, November 8, at the Christy Award Gala in Nashville, TN. Three titles published by Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, won an award.

Her One and Only by Becky Wade won in the Contemporary Romance category, and The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green won in the Historical category. A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander tied for first place in the Historical Romance category.

Established in 1999, the Christy Awards recognize the value of Christian novels in contemporary culture and honor authors who create stories written from a perspective of faith. For the complete list of winners, please click here.

Her One and Only by Becky Wade
(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764211102; ebook ISBN 9781441269461; $13.99)
Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he’s indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly protect him? But Dru’s a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She’s also determined to uncover the identity of Gray’s stalker. And she’s just as determined to avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts—and their lives—to one another?

The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green
(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764219061; ebook ISBN 9781441231079; $14.99)
After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, Benjamin, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict. New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects, and there is no news of Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit? With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace—and love—can overcome the stigma of the king’s mark upon her shoulder.

A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander
(Bethany House; ISBN 9780764206245; ebook ISBN 9781441230942; $15.99)
A master violinist trained in Vienna, Rebekah Carrington manages to get an audition at the newly formed Nashville Philharmonic. But women are “far too fragile and frail” for the rigors of an orchestra, and Rebekah’s hopes are dashed because the conductor bows to public opinion. Nationally acclaimed conductor Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb is Nashville’s new orchestra leader. And despite a reluctant muse—and a strange recurring pain in his head—he must finish composing his symphony before the grand opening of the city’s new opera hall. But he must also finish it for the one who inspired his love of music—his father, who is dying. As Tate’s ailment worsens, he believes Rebekah can help him finish his symphony. But how do you win back a woman’s trust when you’ve robbed her of her dream?

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.

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

Contact: Lynnae Lubbers
(616)676-9185 x193  llubbers@bakerpublishinggroup.com

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Some of the most serious crises threatening the world today were the focus of the Crisis Publishing Initiative conference in Sopron, Hungary, last month. The event, hosted by Magazine Training International, drew some 60 Christians in publishing from 22 countries.

Journalists heard experts give up-to-date data on migrant movements, religious liberty, and human trafficking. And they attended workshops offering practical help in covering war zones, natural disasters, and refugee camps. They learned how to ferret out and discern the truth in chaotic situations, how to stay safe, and how to deal with secondary trauma. Writers, editors, and photographers all received tools to more effectively communicate the truth in the midst of crisis.

“This conference arose out of concern about the misinformation, exaggeration, and outright lies that proliferate as a result of crisis,” says Sharon Mumper, president of Magazine Training International. “We believe it is the responsibility of Christians to find and publish the truth and to offer the information and resources that make it possible for the church to respond to crises as those called to be salt and light in society.”

The purpose of the conference was to prepare Christian journalists to skillfully handle this responsibility. Sixteen speakers from six countries spoke during the three-and-a-half day conference.

“I think God was smiling down on it all,” says Gary Gnidovic, one of the speakers and an award-winning designer and photographer. “In spite of the difficult subject matter, a great deal of optimism and hope was expressed throughout.”

Journalists from Australia, Austria, the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S. attended the program.

Crisis Publishing Initiative speakers included Dr. Miriam Adeney, professor at Seattle Pacific University and author; Asif Aqeel, newspaper journalist and Pakistan’s only corespondent for World Watch Monitor; Mindy Belz, senior editor of WORLDmagazine; Joseph Benjamin, publisher of Gajarati Christians; Julia Bicknell, executive editor and director of World Watch Monitor; Yara Chehayed, communications officer for World Vision Lebanon; Dr. Randel Everett, founding president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative; Gary Gnidovic, designer and photographer; Jenny Hwang; program manager at Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College; Patrick Johnstone, author, futurologist, and strategist;  Elizabeth Kendal, international religious liberty analyst and advocate; Laura Leonard, communications specialist at Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College; Dr. Sandra Morgan, professor and director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice; Andrew Steele, senior associate of ICMC Partners in Communication; Gökhan Talas, founder of Miras Publishing Ministries in Turkey; and Jeremy Weber, senior editor of Christianity Today.

The Initiative is supported by co-sponsors Lydia Stiftung (Germany) and Tyndale House Foundation (USA), and contributing sponsors Stiftung Christliche Medien (Germany) and Christianity Today (USA). The Crisis Publishing Initiative Coalition, which serves as a board of reference for the Initiative, is comprised of publishers and publishing associations from the U.S and the U.K.

The Crisis Publishing Initiative provided the knowledge, skills, and resources Christian publishers need in order to research, report, and publish responsibly in crisis situations; but it was also an opportunity for encouragement and camaraderie for Christian journalists who often operate with little to no contact with other Christian publishers.

“I feel quite enriched, strengthened, and blessed by being part of the training program,” says Aqeel. “I can still feel the joy I experienced during the program…. It is rather [wonderful] after many years to have such a fellowship.”

“It was a blessed time,” says Lidia Pop of Policontact SRL in Romania. “We became more conscious about the movements between nations and how God works to approach people who do not know Him. We also had the opportunity to meet great people from all around the globe, and to share knowledge, feelings, and make new friends and precious relationships.”

Although the Crisis Publishing Initiative will continue, there are no immediate plans for another conference.

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 28 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.

Carol Stream, Ill. (November 15, 2017) – Tyndale House Publishers has announced an initial print run of over 100,000 print copies of Memory Rescue, the newest book from top psychiatrist and bestselling author Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of the nationwide chain of Amen Clinics. Memory Rescue: Supercharge Your Brain, Reverse Memory Loss, and Remember What Matters Most ($25.99, ISBN 978-4964-2560-7) releases this week.

Author Daniel G. Amen, MD, is an award-winning neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and founder of the Amen Clinics, with eight locations across the United States. He is a 10-time New York Times bestselling author, including Change Your Brain, Change Your Life; Healing ADD; and The Daniel Plan, written with Pastor Rick Warren and Mark Hyman, MD. In 2016, Dr. Amen’s brain imaging research was listed as one of the top 100 stories in science by Discover magazine, and he is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on professional football players.

Dr. Amen, known internationally for his work in brain research, will be featured on a satellite TV tour during launch week. He has written and produced 12 popular public television shows about the brain that have aired across North America.  The PBS special Memory Rescue is still being booked by PBS carriers and is currently scheduled to run on 54% of the PBS stations, with the show projected to reach 124 million adults 18 and over.  The programs will air 11/25/17 through 12/2/17 on a variety of times in various markets.

Physician and bestselling author Mark Hyman, M.D., writes: “Memory Rescue is a powerful new book that shows you step-by-step how to improve your memory and overall health.  The information is smart, simple, research-based and effective.  It’s your roadmap to the best brain possible.”

Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and The Daniel Plan, comments: “This is an incredibly helpful book for anyone who wants to increase their brain capacity and strengthen their memory. I want to stay sharp, and that’s why I read everything Dr. Amen writes, and you should too!”

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 profits 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.

Media Contact:  Maggie Rowe, Sr. Publicist, Tyndale House  630-784-5333

Daniel Amen, MD.
Memory Rescue, pub date 11.14.17

In celebration of Billy Graham’s 99th birthday, “The Billy Graham Channel” will air starting Nov. 6

Lt. Jim Downing, author of the NavPress book The Other Side of Infamy, is 104 years old

Colorado Springs, Colo.—It took nearly a year to be officially certified, but NavPress author Lt. Jim Downing, 104, who penned The Other Side of Infamy(978-1-63146-627-4, SC; 978-1631467448, HC; November 2016), has been recognized as “Oldest Male Author” by Guinness World Records. Downing is widely recognized as the second-oldest survivor of the December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attack.

The Guinness entry is as follows: The oldest male author is Jim Downing (USA) (b. 22 August 1913), who was 102 years and 176 days when the final draft of his book The Other Side of Infamy was accepted for publication, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, on 15 February 2016. 

A lengthy article about Lt. Downing’s record appeared on the Guinness web site and is linked here: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/10/monday-motivation-the-pearl-harbor-hero-whos-now-a-record-breaking-author-500025

Jim Downing is the second-oldest living survivor of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His memoir was published by NavPress in 2016.

Having previously teased the forthcoming segment on the plaza at Rockefeller Center in New York in September, Megyn Kelly, host of NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today,” formally introduced the Guinness record during a moving segment about Lt. Downing on October 13.

“I thought I was going to be blown up,” said Downing about Pearl Harbor on Kelly’s new mid-morning show. “My conversation with God was, ‘I’ll be with you in a minute.’ A minute went by for about thirty minutes, and I wasn’t taken; but I experienced the greatest peace I’ve ever had in my life knowing that God was in charge.”

In addition to Kelly’s show earlier this month, Downing has been interviewed about The Other Side of Infamy by CNN’s Jake Tapper. Downing was also featured by TIME magazine in a “virtual reality” segment, Remembering Pearl Harbor, for LIFE VR and Deluxe VR. Downing has thrown out the first pitch at several Major League Baseball games.

Jim Downing was born August 22, 1913 in Oak Grove, Missouri. He joined the Navy at age 19. The first ship to which he was assigned was the USS West Virginia, where he served as gunner’s mate 1st class and postmaster. Jim later met his future wife, Morena, at a college graduation in 1940. During July of 1941, they were married in Hawaii, where Jim was stationed. Just 149 days later, the Downing’s lives were turned upside down by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During his life, Jim served admirably in the United States Navy, was a devoted husband for 68 years, and was a father to seven children. He lost his beloved wife, Morena, in 2010. In 2013, Jim was entered into the Congressional Record, with a special declaration by Colorado’s U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn. Today, at 104 years of age, Jim Downing is the second oldest known survivor of the December 7, 1941, Japanese sneak attack that killed more than 2,400 Americans.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to peoples’ lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.

WHEATON, Ill.—In an effort to strengthen communication and relationships with retailers in the independent market, Crossway is pleased to publically announce the decision to move their independent sales effort in-house, effective January 1, 2018.

Dan Bush, Crossway’s Vice President of Sales, notes, “Independent stores have been a crucial distribution partner for Crossway. These retailers play a vital role in their communities by serving customers and local churches, and we’re excited about this opportunity to work with them more closely.”

This change marks a concerted effort to invest in independent retailers, who stand as key partners in Crossway’s publishing ministry. Moving forward, each independent account will be assigned to an in-house salesperson with detailed knowledge and experience when it comes to the full catalog of Crossway books and ESV Bibles.

“While Crossway has sold to the independent market for many years, this transition will provide even more of a personal touchpoint with our retail partners,” according to Anthony Gosling, Crossway’s Executive Vice President of Business Operations.

Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry and exists solely for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing.

Contact: Lauren Harvey  lharvey@crossway.org  crossway.org

William Martin granted unprecedented access to document Graham’s life

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. – Former CBA Executive Director John Bass passed away Nov. 5 at age 91.

Bass led CBA from 1965-1985, and is credited with visionary thinking that grew the association from 800 member stores to more than 3,200 members, as well as forging the path for technology implementation that would result in the POS and e-commerce systems used today. During his leadership, he expanded workshops and the education program, transformed the association newsletter to the Bookstore Journal trade magazine, developed the vision for international CBA chapters, and added winter caravan shows, which eventually became regional conventions.

“The growth in CBA took place because of grassroots efforts between my dad and some of his board members who viewed the association not only from a business standpoint, but from a ministry standpoint as well,” reflects John Bass, Jr.

Bass succeeded CBA’s first president, Bill Moore, a Chicago bookseller who went to work for Ken Taylor, then Moody Press director and later founder of Tyndale House Publishers. The men saw a need for training and development support for Christian booksellers who knew ministry but not business.

With connections back to evangelist Dwight L. Moody, the Moody Bible Institute was the foundational leader for the formation of CBA postwar World War II to spread the Gospel message through a network of local bookstores. The association grew out of Moody’s Bible Institute Colportage Association formed in 1894 to promote inexpensive Christian books. By the time it became Moody Publishers in 1941, it produced nearly 34 million copies of sermons, Bible teaching, and doctrinal books, leading to CBA’s formation in 1950.

A member of what has been called “The Greatest Generation,” Bass Sr. served in the United States Navy during WWII, and he never lost his penchant for service. He had a heart for the purpose of Christian retail and believed strongly in the mission, stating, “Christian bookselling is one of the most enviable ministries and business opportunities that can be found anywhere. From the ministry viewpoint, who is in a better position to offer hope to a troubled world than Christian booksellers, who can offer the printed message of the Prince of Peace?” (from His Time, His Way: The CBA Story: 1950-1999).

Bass also served as executive director and as a board member of Crowell Trust since November 1981, resigning his position as trustee in 2013. Henry Parsons Crowell, founder of Quaker Oats, founded the Trust in 1927. Crowell was chairman of Moody Bible Institute’s board of directors when he had a vision of creating perpetual funding dedicated to the teaching and active extension of Evangelical Christianity.

Former CBA President Bill Anderson (1985-2009), who had previously worked at Moody Press, said, “John took CBA from start-up mode to a very influential organization that served the entire industry—retailers in particular, but being very inclusive of suppliers, publishers, music companies, and gift companies.”

Anderson reflects on the legacy that had been passed on to him when he assumed CBA leadership from Bass in 1985. “Some people have a very wide sphere of influence, and some have a very deep one, but John is one of those rare individuals whose sphere of influence is both deep and wide,” he said.

Other industry leaders offered their condolences and tribute.

“John was a stalwart in the world of Christian retailing. He led CBA through many years, going back to the very early years of the industry. All Christian publishers and retailers owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership,” said Mark Taylor, chairman/CEO of Tyndale House Publishers.

Bob Hawkins, president of Harvest House Publishers said, “John Bass was an amazing leader for the Christian Booksellers Association in the glory days of Christian retail. Though I did not personally know him well, I know my folks, Bob and Shirley Hawkins, loved both John and his wife Betty very much. I well remember John’s strong presence and voice for the Association back in the 1980’s at CBA conventions when he would share the vision of the Association with resolve and passion.  He was loved and deeply respected by so many and will be greatly missed by those whom he led and whose lives he affected.”

“John was a great leader and dear friend,” said Parable Group President Steve Potratz. “He always had time for people and took deep personal interest in them. I remember in 1971, when I was managing Biola College Bookstore, I had this crazy idea to start an association under the umbrella of CBA for Christian College and Seminary bookstores. John went out of his way to help me—a 21-year-old kid without any experience. I’ll never forget his care, his interest in me, and the time he gave me. Because of his support we had excellent attendance at our first meeting and accomplished much for the Kingdom. I will always appreciate John’s heart for God, our industry, and the people in it. He will be deeply missed.”

CBA President Curtis Riskey said, “CBA is indebted to John Bass for his vision for the Christian products industry and his willingness to sacrifice much for a then fledging industry that now reaches around the world with Christian resources that support and teach the Gospel. My memory of John is of a man who could light up a room and make everyone in his presence feel special. I am grateful to have known John Bass and for his leadership of CBA. He will be missed.”

During a 2016 Christian MARKET interview, Bass reflected on his years at CBA: “The concepts and innovations that take place [today] are completely different than I had experienced. The thing I know is that it wasn’t John Bass who succeeded but rather it was a group of wonderfully moral people who were sensitive to the needs of the industry. That’s why CBA became what it did.”

A celebration of Bass’ life will be held Nov. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado at 10:00 a.m., with a lunch buffet to follow. Private inurnment will follow at a later date.

John’s faith and dedication to the Lord were paramount to him. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs in which he served as a Deacon, Elder and Trustee or the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation.

CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, is the global trade association for Christian-product providers and distributors. CBA supplies vital connections, information, education, and encouragement to help Christian resource providers reach all people.

Contact: Eric Grimm  egrimm@cbaonline.org  (719) 272-3503