Held “after-hours” in The Museum of the Bible, event will celebrate 40 years of Christian Book Awards

TEMPE, Ariz., March 22, 2018 – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced today that ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ – evangelist, author, and daughter to the late Billy Graham – will keynote the upcoming ECPA Awards Celebration held May 1st at the Museum of the Bible, in conjunction with the ECPA Leadership Summit.

Called “the best preacher in the family” by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God’s Word. The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Her Just Give Me Jesus revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.  Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author of 16 books.

“We are thrilled that Anne will be sharing her passion for Scripture and the ministry of writing books with the publishing leaders at Leadership Summit,” said ECPA executive director Stan Jantz. “Her words of encouragement in the setting of the Museum of the Bible will be a vivid reminder that God’s Word is at the heart of Christian publishing.”

Anne will be part of a full program that will announce the 2018 winners of the Christian Book Award® program, highlight the year’s milestones in Christian books, celebrate 40 years of Christian Book Awards, honor the writing legacy of Billy Graham, and present the Kenneth N. Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award.  The 2018 Christian Book Award® finalists will be announced on April 4th.

Held “after-hours” in Washington DC’s newest museum — Museum of the Bible — the ECPA Awards Celebration is a distinguished event for Christian publishing leaders and their guests held during the industry’s annual ECPA Leadership Summit.

ECPA Leadership Summit attendees can purchase tickets at a deep discount ($29) through their registration form or through the attendee purchase link.
Guests not registered for the ECPA Leadership Summit can purchase guest tickets for $79.

• For more information about the ECPA Awards Celebration: ECPAleadership.org/awards-celebration.html
• For more information about the ECPA Leadership Summit: ECPALeadership.org

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org

Media contacts:
Stan Jantz, ECPA Executive Director, sjantz@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101
Cindy Carter, ECPA Awards & Recognition Manager, ccarter@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 103

 

(NEW YORK) –March 12, 2018.   The Atria Publishing Group/Howard Books announced today they have re-signed #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury to a new six-book contract.

Howard Books Executive Editor Beth Adams and Editor-at-Large Becky Nesbitt acquired the six new titles from Rick Christian, founder and CEO of Colorado Springs-based Alive Literary Agency.

“There’s a reason Karen is known as America’s favorite storyteller,” said Kingsbury’s long-time editor Nesbitt.  “She writes emotionally gripping, redemptive stories of love and second chances. We are thrilled to be extending our partnership with her to bring more of her life-affirming stories to bookstores and libraries everywhere.”

“We’ve had quite the run together,” said Kingsbury, adding “I am privileged to know I have several more years to work with this talented and passionate group of people, and count them among my dearest friends.”

Karen Kingsbury 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 national bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development for television and major motion pictures. Hallmark has aired four top-rated movies based on her novels in recent years, and her Baxter Family books are being adapted into a TV series by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, slated for digital streaming later this year. Karen is also an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where a Karen Kingsbury of School of Writing has been established. 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 five of their adult children.

Her next book, To The Moon And Back, releasing  May 29, is a hope-filled love story in the Baxter Family collection. It focuses on the lives of two individuals who lost their parents in the same national tragedy – two people desperate to find each other and the connection they shared for a single day that changed everything.

Atria Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon& Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. For more information about Atria, visit our website at atria-books.com.

Media Contact:
Paul Olsewski, VP, Publicity Director
212-698-7089  paul.olsewski@simonandschuster.com

For Rights Information:
Lisa Keim  212-698- 7397  Lisa.keim@simonandschuster.com

Carol Stream, Ill. – Tyndale House Publishers today announced that Margaret West Taylor, widow of Dr. Kenneth Taylor and cofounder of Tyndale House Publishers, passed peacefully into eternal life with Jesus on March 12, 2018. She was born on March 23, 1917, in Oswego, Oregon, and died in Winfield, Illinois.

“My mom lived a quiet but vibrant life for more than 100 years, and she was ready for this final step,” said Mark Taylor, chairman and CEO of Tyndale House. “Members of her family were at her bedside, singing hymns and reading Scripture. We rejoice in a life well lived. Many years ago she selected the verse that has already been engraved on her tombstone: ‘For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others’ (Mark 10:45). In the same way that Jesus came to serve others, Margaret dedicated her life to serving her family and others with whom she came in contact.”

Kenneth and Margaret Taylor were the founders of Tyndale House Publishers and Tyndale House Foundation. The mission of both organizations is “to minister to the spiritual needs of people, primarily through literature consistent with biblical principles.” Through these ministries, millions of people have been able to read God’s Word in easy-to-understand translations (The Living Bible; the Holy Bible, New Living Translation; and the Santa Biblia, Nueva Traducción Viviente). Although Margaret worked at Tyndale House for nearly 20 years in its early days (1962–1981), she was always quick to say that caring for her family was her highest priority.

Margaret studied home economics at Oregon State University (and at Wheaton College for one year), graduating with the highest GPA of anyone in the department. After a long courtship that culminated in marriage in 1940, Margaret and Ken Taylor embarked on a remarkable, and at times challenging, ministry journey.

By the time Tyndale House Publishers was launched with the publication of Living Letters in July 1962, the Taylors had 10 children. Margaret was the glue that held the family together, navigating through several moves due to the housing shortage following World War II and managing a large household with limited finances. Meanwhile, Ken commuted long distances to work and was often gone for days at a time. In the dedication of his autobiography, Ken Taylor wrote of Margaret, “She worked unceasingly at home during the family years.” He later described her as “the stronger one” during that difficult period.

Margaret also had a hands-on role in the business, working as a proofreader, an order-entry clerk, and business manager, effectively serving as Tyndale’s first COO. She retired from business operations in 1981 at age 64. The company had grown from ground zero to being one of the larger Christian publishing companies in the world. In April 2001, Tyndale House achieved record annual sales; later that year, Ken and Margaret Taylor transferred ownership of the company to the Tyndale House Foundation.

In addition to her impact on the vision and long-term success of Tyndale House Publishers, Margaret Taylor’s legacy is one of faith and dependence on God. Throughout her 100 years, she was, and will continue to be, an extraordinary example of what it means to love and follow Christ wholeheartedly and in all circumstances. Ken Taylor wrote, “Her own quiet, steady love for our Lord has been a constant inspiration to me”—just as it has been for all who knew her.

Margaret is survived by all 10 of her children: Becky Kraft; John Taylor and his wife, Mary Tall Taylor; Marty Taylor and her husband, Art Grosman; Peter Taylor and his wife, Sharon; Janet Taylor and her husband, Wayne Martin; Mark Taylor and his wife, Carol; Cynthia Brown; Gretchen Worcester and her husband, Bob; Mary Lee Bayly and her husband, Tim; and Alison Lingo and her husband, Jim. Margaret was proud of her 28 grandchildren and 79 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by Kenneth, her husband of 65 years, who passed away in 2005.

The funeral (a service of celebration) will be held at 10:00 AM at College Church in Wheaton on Friday, March 23.  More at www.tyndale.com/stories/tyndale-house-celebrates-the-life-of-margaret-taylor

In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests that memorial gifts can be given to one of Margaret’s favorite ministries, including College Church in Wheaton (www.college-church.org) and The Seed Company, a ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators (www.theseedcompany.org).

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.

Unified Releases April 3 from Tyndale Momentum 

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (March 14, 2018) – Tyndale House Publishers announces United States Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Trey Gowdy will launch their new book,Unified: How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country, with a comprehensive media and book signing tour marking the book’s release on Tuesday, April 3. Information about South Carolina events is available at: http://www.unifiedtour.com/

In Unified, Senator Scott and Congressman Gowdy share their personal experiences, including many that predate their coming to Washington together in 2010, and the critical truths they’ve learned in their own lives to help others overcome differences, strengthen bonds, build unity, and eliminate fears. They encourage others to create their own stories, clean the slate of the past, extend the hand of friendship, and ultimately to pursue reconciliation even in these seemingly divided and conflicted times.  Senator Scott and Congressman Gowdy believe there is a yearning, a hunger for unity in our country.

The evening events will feature extended speaking times featuring both authors, followed by a book signing of the new release Unified. While both Senator Scott and Congressman Gowdy are currently in politics, politics does not define who they are or why they pursue reconciliation and unity for our country.  Instead, they have chosen to lay aside partisan politics and encourage all of their fellow citizens to discover the joy and satisfaction that comes from relationships that are real and deep, and that can transcend the racial, political and social lines.  Unlikely friendships have altered the course of their own lives, for the better, and they both believe the country will benefit when Americans focus more on what binds us together and less on what divides us apart.

Senator Scott and Congressman Gowdy will start the Unified book tour with a book signing at BookEnds in Ridgewood, N.J., at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 2. They will appear together Sunday April 1 on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Other media appearances will include CBS “This Morning,” “FOX & Friends,” ABC’s “The View,” CNN’s “New Day,” and FOX News’s “The Story with Martha McCallum.”

The book signing and event schedule follows:

Monday, April 2
7:00 p.m. – Book Signing
BookEnds
211 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone: (201) 445-0726

Wednesday, April 4
6:30 p.m. – Worship Service
Seacoast Church
750 Long Point Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: (843) 881-2100
FREE Unified Event Ticket Link
** Tickets not required for this event

Thursday, April 5
11:30 a.m. – Book Signing
Barnes & Noble #2973
1716 Towne Centre Way
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: (843) 216-9756

7:00 p.m. – Speaking Event & Book Signing
First Baptist Church
250 East Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306
Phone: (864) 583-7245
FREE Unified Event Ticket Link
* Web-based free ticket distribution system (see below)

Friday, April 6
11:30 a.m. – Book Signing
Books-A-Million #277
164 Forum Drive
Columbia, SC 29229
Phone: (803) 788-4349

7:00 p.m. – Speaking Event & Book Signing
First Baptist Church
1306 Hampton Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 256-4251
FREE Unified Event Ticket Link
* Web-based free ticket distribution system (see below)

Saturday, April 7
10:30 a.m. – Book Signing
Fiction Addiction
1175 Woods Crossing Road
Suite 5
Greenville, SC 29607
Phone: (864) 675-0540

7:00 p.m. – Speaking Event & Book Signing
Southside Christian School
2211 Woodruff Road
Simpsonville, SC 29681
Phone: (864) 234-7595
FREE Unified Event Ticket Link
* Web-based free ticket distribution system (see below)

* To order free guaranteed seating tickets for this event, please visit www.unifiedtour.com.
** Tickets not required for this event

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is one of the largest privately held Christian publishers of books, Bibles, and digital media in the world. Tyndale Momentum, Tyndale’s nonfiction imprint, is the publisher of many New York Times bestsellers and is known for integrity in building lasting personal relationships with authors and agents. Tyndale extends the ministry of its authors by contributing most of its profits to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Originally founded to publish 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.

“Wonder Women” is 2018 theme of annual women’s conference hosted by Rosalinda Rivera & New Life Outreach Church in Richmond, VA

Orange County, CA – BELLA Women’s Conference has selected FrontGate Media, the leading faith-based marketing agency and media group, to exclusively represent the multi-cultural event’s sponsorships via a multiple year agreement.  The 2018 conference will be held at the organization’s home church, New Life Outreach, in Richmond, VA on May 4^th and 5^th.

Each year, over 600 women gather to worship, learn and find community through keynote speakers, special workshops, luncheon, and special music. Sponsors have the rare opportunity to be face-to-face with these Christian Women in their home church environment.  The multi-cultural event is a microcosm of what the Church in the U.S. is becoming and has plans to expand to additional cities in the future.

For 2018, the conference theme is “Wonder Women” and is dedicated to equipping women of all ages to be empowered through Christ to become the superhero each woman is meant to be.  The event will feature inspiring speakers including Rosalinda Rivera, the founder of the event, and special guest Cynthia Rosario. Uplifting worship music will be led by Grammy Nominated, Dove & Stellar Award-winning Martha Munizzi, and The Liberty Worship Collective from Liberty University. Additional guest speakers will be hosting workshops as well. See the site for details.

Scott A. Shuford, Founder/CEO of FrontGate Media states, “After meeting Rosalinda, I knew we wanted to be involved and help support the Bella Women’s Conference.  We are honored to come alongside the team at New Life Outreach and help them partner with new and unique companies and non-profits that share their audience. Our existing client base and ministry partners are always looking for a way to reach Christian women, and we are thrilled to add them to our FrontGate Media network.”

“We are thrilled to partner with FrontGate. Their track record in the market came highly recommended and we knew we needed to partner with an agency that understood both our mission and our ministry,” shares Rosalinda Rivera, founder of Bella Women’s Ministry, international speaker, and author.

“Wonder Women,” the 2018 Bella Women’s Conference, is slated for May 4^th and 5^th at New Life Outreach Church, 1005 Turner Road, Richmond, VA. For general information on the conference, see www.BellaWomensConference.com. For more information on sponsorship packages, please see https://www.frontgatemedia.com/portfolio/wonder-women-conference.

About FrontGate Media
Award-winning FrontGate Media is the leading marketing agency and media group specializing in the faith and family audience.  With an 18-year track record of success, the firm serves as “Your Gateway to the Christian Audience.” FrontGate’s full-service agency and media group has been trusted with over 5,000 campaigns, providing Faith-based market Strategy Development, Public Relations, Social Media & Marketing, and Media Buying. FrontGate’s own Web & Events Network also provides reach to millions of people each month via their sites, events and email subscribers.  Founded in 2001, FrontGate has repeatedly been honored in the Internet Advertising Competition and the WebAwards. The company plays a key role in the success of for-profit and non-profit organizations seeking the faith-based and family-friendly audiences.  http://FrontGateMedia.com

Media Contact:  Lori Heiselman  714-553-5181  Lori@FrontGateMedia.com

Host of Reading Rainbow “thrilled” to voice first full-length biography of mentor Fred Rogers

CAROL STREAM, IL, March 19, 2018 — Oasis Audio, a leading independent audiobook publisher, today announced that they have obtained the audio rights to Maxwell King’s biography of Fred Rogers, The Good Neighbor. LeVar Burton — best known as host of Reading Rainbow and for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Roots — has signed on to narrate.

The Good Neighbor is the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, the eponymous star of public television’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. King draws from original interviews, oral histories and archival documents for an engaging story that traces the personal, professional and artistic life of a beloved American icon. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood national broadcast.

“I am thrilled to be giving voice to The Good Neighbor,” said Burton. “I am lucky to have been able to call Fred both a mentor and a friend, and hardly a day goes by that I am not acutely aware of his profound influence on so many — myself included.”

As host of PBS’ Reading Rainbow, Burton’s career crossed paths with Fred Rogers’ many times. Most notably, Burton was a guest on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in 1998 and the two participated in the 1996 White House Conference on Children’s Television. In 2004, Burton received the Fred Rogers Award for excellence in children’s educational media.

“Fred Rogers has impacted generations of children and parents, and there is no one better suited to be the voice of his story than LeVar Burton,” said Oasis Audio President Steve Smith. “Maxwell King has done a brilliant job capturing Rogers’ life in rich detail. He was a champion of compassion, equality and kindness — values that grow more relevant with every passing year. Between the depth of King’s content and Burton’s immense talent, we are excited to produce a truly special listening experience.”

The Good Neighbor audiobook will be available September 11, releasing simultaneously with the print edition from Abrams Books.

About Oasis Audio
Oasis Audio began publishing inspirational and self-help audio titles in 1996. Over the years, the product selection expanded to include Bibles, non-fiction, fiction, children’s and business audio titles. Today, Oasis Audio is the largest Independent Christian and inspirational audiobook publisher in the United States. To learn more, visit oasisaudio.com.

Media Contact:  Julie Smith, julie@oasisaudio.com  847-293-2994

Audrey and Jeremy Roloff to Release A Love Letter Life in April 2019

Grand Rapids, Mich., March 6, 2018 – Husband and wife and co-stars of TLC’s Little People, Big World, Jeremy and Audrey Roloff, have signed a three-book contract with Zondervan including two trade titles and one gift book. The Roloffs are represented by Bryan Norman with Alive Literary Agency and world rights were acquired by Carolyn McCready.

More than 2.3 million viewers watched as Jeremy and Audrey Roloff committed their lives to one another, but their wedding day was the culmination of a bumpy and complicated dating relationship. From health problems to disagreements to being separated by one thousand miles, the couple faced daunting obstacles. But their unique approach to dating empowered them to write an uncommon love story that led them to their wedding day.

Now the Roloffs are ready to share what they’ve learned in hopes of helping others avoid dating dysfunction and find a godly mate. In A Love Letter Life (on sale April 2019), the Roloffs say that dating is less like playing a game and more like spinning a spellbinding story. Through the lens of raw, never-before shared tales from their own dating journey, the Roloffs provide revolutionary advice for anyone who is looking for love.

Audrey Roloff is passionate about motivating women to always believe in the more that is within them through Christ. Her life mantra “always more” is the lifeblood of her lifestyle blog aujpoj.com, devotionals, and clothing line. She is also the cofounder of Beating50Percent, a marriage ministry with the hope of reviving covenant marriages and inspiring young couples to give more than average to their relationship. She grew up downhill ski racing but eventually became a collegiate distance runner. She is mama, barre3 instructor, lover of all things floral, antiques, and the Pacific Northwest.

Jeremy Roloff grew up on a 110-acre farm in Helvetia, Oregon, alongside his twin brother and two younger siblings. Jeremy helps his parents, who are both dwarfs, run Roloff Farm’s pumpkin patch, which brings in thousands of visitors from around the world every weekend in October. Jeremy has a degree in professional photography, and is the co-founder of Beating50Percent, a marriage ministry on mission to revive covenant marriages. He also grew up filming for a reality television show called Little People, Big World, which has been following his family since he was twelve years old. He is a 5 on the enneagram, loves old cars, and will never pass up an evening by the campfire.

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.

“My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.”  — Billy Graham

(NEW YORK, February 27, 2018) Howard Books, an imprint of the Atria Publishing Group, announced today that they will publish Hear My Heart: What I Would Say to You, a posthumous book by Billy Graham on March 6.  Howard acquired the right to publish the book owned by Christianity Today in 2012, with the understanding that it would be published upon Graham’s death. Christianity Today was founded by Graham in 1956 to provide evangelical thought leaders a sense of community, coherence, and direction through thoughtful, Biblical commentary on issues and through careful, caring reporting of the news.

This legacy book compiles many articles written by Billy Graham from 1955 to 2014 and invites you to sit down with Billy and hear in his own unvarnished words the things that moved his heart regarding relevant issues of the day. The Biblical convictions he abided by. The reasons and regrets behind some of his decisions. And the wisdom he gained in his century on this earth.

Among the topics covered:

• What it Means to be “Born Again”
• Why the World Matters so Much
• When Tolerance Becomes Sin
• Confronting Racism
• My Role in the Watergate Crisis
• What I would have done differently

Hear My Heart also presents stirring tributes, collected over many years, about Billy and his legacy from those who knew him best – J.I. Packer, Philip Yancey, John R.W. Stott, Ruth Graham and more. Though their lives may have changed, Billy’s impact remains the same, and their words are beautifully preserved in essays that reflect the power of his ministry. In his afterword Rick Warren writes “Billy Graham is gone.  This mighty man of God is now wrapped in the arms of his beloved redeemer.  Yet this evangelist, counselor to world leaders, and unshakable beacon of integrity and stability has left deep footprints that will remain vivid to the entire world for generations to come.”

ABOUT BILLY GRAHAM: During his lifetime (1918-2018), Billy Graham preached to more people in live audiences (nearly 215 million) than anyone else in history, with millions more reached through his television, video, film, and webcasts. Named by the Gallup organization as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World” a record 50+ times, he has received dozens of honors and has helped launch numerous organizations such as Youth for Christ and Christianity Today. He has also played a significant role in the development of other leading ministries such as World Vision and World Relief. Graham has written more than 30 books that have been translated into dozens of languages, including several New York Times and CBA bestsellers.

Contact: Paul Olsewski, VP, Director of Publicity
212-698-7089  paul.olsewski@simonandschuster.com