NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS PASTOR JUDAH SMITH AND PSYCHOLOGIST DR. LES PARROTT DEBUT NEW BOOK, “BAD THOUGHTS,” BLENDING SERMON AND SCIENCE TO BREAK DOWN MENTAL HEALTH STIGMAS AND TACKLE THE THOUGHTS THAT KEEP PEOPLE STUCK

They’ve counseled celebrities, congregations and world leaders—now, their Christ-centered insights are available to readers worldwide in Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul—a practical, biblically grounded guide to overcoming destructive thinking, people pleasing, and comparison, and embracing the freedom and peace found in Christ.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 10, 2025) — There is a mental health crisis in the United States, with anxiety and depression at the forefront. A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that half of young adults and one-third of all adults reported feeling anxious either always or often in the past year. “…People are bombarded with messages through the media and popular culture that erode their sense of self-worth — telling them they are not good-looking enough, popular enough, smart enough or rich enough,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in his advisory report. Additionally, according to a 2020 study on relationships within the Church conducted by Barna and the Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University, half of all U.S. adults and practicing Christians report at least one relational, emotional or mental health issue that impacts their relationship.

Against this backdrop, and straight from the pulpit and therapy couch, comes Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul (Zondervan, 9/23/2025), a raw, practical and sometimes humorous conversation between Churchome pastor Judah Smith and psychologist Dr. Les Parrott. These New York Times bestselling authors, known for being pivotal resources for celebrities and well-known personalities alike, are widely acclaimed in their respective fields. Parrott, the renowned author of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, a worldwide phenomenon that has sold over 20 million copies to-date, and Smith, the lead communicator of Churchome, known for its cultural relevance, commitment to biblical integrity, and love for Jesus, have joined forces, drawing on research-backed neuroscience, their unique relationship as therapist and client, and the principles of faith to bring readers a guide to curbing self-destructive thoughts and proving that spirituality can be a tool to find inner healing that lasts.

Smith and Parrott have spent their careers listening to people unload their fears, anxieties, and doubts – whether in pews or on therapy couches. Most people are struggling with a desire to “get better,” but no one seems to know how. Enter, this dynamic duo. Recognizing the staggering rates of anxiety and depression, Bad Thoughts proves to readers that faith and mental health aren’t enemies – they’re actually good friends. Through insightful conversation and deep, personal storytelling, Smith and Parrott get to the root of the poignant question: if we all have bad thoughts, where do we go from here?

“This is not a book about positive thinking,” Smith and Parrott say. “Motivational messages have their place. But we’re focused on something deeper. We’re not dispensing a mere pep talk or rehashing slogans from an inspirational poster. We’re going beneath the surface to help you create true transformation that does nothing less than shape your very identity.”

Readers will get a peek into this duo’s intimate conversations sprinkled with scripture, sarcasm, hard truths, and be equipped with a better understanding of themselves and the tools needed to kick those bad thoughts to the curb and live life to the fullest.

Smith’s personalized doodles in the margins of the book are a reflection of his innermost thoughts, highlighting important themes, giving readers pause for reflection and a reminder not to take themselves too seriously. Smith and Parrott tackle key topics including:

• Why it’s critical to bridge the faith and mental health divide.
• Ditching toxic positivity and cliche advice by getting to the bottom of how to change one’s mind without faking it.
• How equipping oneself with the tools to process and rewire thought patterns can help anyone avoid the “Public Meltdown” that has been seen of pastors, public leaders and celebrities alike.
• Learning how to live a mentally and spiritually healthy life.
• How unhealthy pride can prove how much a person needs faith.
• Why God’s grace is found in surrender, not striving.

“I bring the sermon, Les brings the science,” Smith says. “Together, we can bring a one-two punch to your bad thoughts and help you exchange them for positive, life-giving thoughts.”

Bad Thoughts: A Preacher and a Shrink’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Mind and Soul releases September 23, 2025 and is available for pre-order on Amazon. Learn more about Judah Smith and Churchome at churchome.com, and follow him on Instagram (@JudahSmith) and Facebook (@JudahSmith). Discover more about Les Parrott’s at lesandleslie.com, and follow him on Instagram (@LesandLeslie) and  Facebook (@LesandLeslieParrott).

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Judah Smith is the lead communicator of Churchome, a thriving community with multiple locations and a global app, known for its cultural relevance and deep love for Jesus. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Is __. Judah and his wife, Chelsea, live in Seattle, Washington.

Number-one New York Times bestselling author and psychologist Dr. Les Parrott has been featured on Oprah, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, CNN, and The View, as well as in USA Today and The New York Times. His books, which include Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts and many others, have sold over five million copies. Les and his wife, Leslie, a marriage therapist, are the creators of BetterLove.com, a resource for couples. Les and Leslie live in Seattle, Washington.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: 

Zondervan is a HarperCollins company and part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Zondervan is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian communications. The company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For additional information, please visit zondervan.com.

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“This book is highly recommended for anyone who takes seriously the need for emotional and spiritual transformation. Just like my dear friend Judah, the writing is funny, relatable, and powerful. He and Les are doing important work, helping us reclaim our minds in today’s world and guiding us toward grace.”
 – Chris Pratt, actor

“Fluidly combining examples from scripture, science, and pop culture with actionable advice, the authors make a persuasive and upbeat case that the power to change comes from within. Christians stuck in a cycle of self-defeatism will want to pick this up.”
– Publishers Weekly

New Feature Automates the Calculation and Payment of Agents’ Fees, Simplifies Information Sharing

NORTHAMPTON, MA, September 18, 2025 – For many book publishers, calculating and paying agents’ fees is an additional task tacked on to an already time-consuming royalty management process. Delivering the specific and customized royalty information that agents need adds further complications and stress to the process.

With today’s launch of the new Royalty Tracker® agents feature, publishers can process agents’ fees, as well as author and licensor royalties, with the click of a button, and instantly publish agents’ statements to the online Royalty Portal. Agents can easily see how their splits were calculated, review royalty summaries by title, and find more detailed information whenever they need it.

“This feature will transform how our customers work with literary agents,” said David Marlin, President & Co-Founder of MetaComet Systems. “Instead of spending hours or days manually calculating splits and fielding phone calls, they can process everything in minutes and give agents instant access to exactly what they need.”

Publishers can view a brief video demo of this feature, request more information, or initiate implementation at https://metacomet.com/resources/agents/

About MetaComet
MetaComet® Systems launched its cutting-edge royalty management software in 1999 and every year since has invested heavily in refining its features, improving its ease of use, and enhancing its security. Hundreds of publishers and other licensing businesses have automated their royalties with MetaComet, leading to more efficient, accurate, and transparent royalty calculations and payments. MetaComet is one of the few publishing software vendors that is SOC 2 Type II certified secure.

Contact:  
Beth Lewand 
MetaComet® Systems 
(413) 536-5989 x101 
blewand@metacomet.com  

September 2025 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is excited to announce the launch of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, a new resource for everyday family discipleship. The podcast launches on Monday, October 13, with new episodes releasing each Monday through October 2026.

Between the endless tasks of family life and the frantic pace of modern life, parents and caregivers can find it hard to focus on what matters most. The Wholehearted Households Podcast provides a moment for parents and caregivers to breathe and connect with the breath-giver himself. Narrated by IVP staff, episodes will be accessible and short, able to be listened to on a drive to school pickup or in the midst of daily chores. Each ten- to fifteen-minute episode will give listeners a short break in the day to learn about God’s Word, receive practical tips for accessible family discipleship, and be guided through an in-the-moment spiritual practice designed to nurture their connection with God directly.

The Wholehearted Households Podcast is underwritten by the $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant awarded to IVP in 2024 as part of Lilly’s Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. Building on research that affirms the pivotal role parents, grandparents, and other caregivers play in the religious lives of children, the Lilly Endowment launched the initiative in 2022. Grants ranged from $240,000 to $1.25 million and have supported a variety of approaches that draw on cutting-edge research about child development and parenting to inform faith practices in the home.

Since receiving the grant, IVP has produced a variety of resources for families around the Lilly initiative, including a video course, in partnership with Seminary Now, based on the award-winning book Teach Your Children Well: A Step-by-Step Guide for Family Discipleship by Sarah Cowan Johnson. IVP has also developed audiobooks in English and Spanish, and a podcast based on Teach Your Children Well. The Wholehearted Households Podcast is the next step in providing content to help teach spiritual practices for family discipleship.

“The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a unique offering from InterVarsity Press,” said Helen Lee, Director of Strategic Initiatives at IVP. “It features trusted content from our books and authors, delivered in a winsome and accessible way that will minister to today’s busy parents and caregivers who are often on the go or have their hands full with the daily demands of family life.”

The Wholehearted Households Podcast will incorporate three recurring sections: a spotlight on a Scripture passage, a practical discipleship nugget that parents can bring to their families that week, and a spiritual practice that makes space for the parent to connect with God right then and there. The first ten episodes will focus on the books of Genesis through 1—2 Kings with subsequent episodes walking through more books of the Bible.

Lee said, “We based the structure of the show on the feedback we’ve received from many parents and caregivers who are looking for the tri-fold content that this podcast provides: biblical literacy, discipleship ideas, and a spiritual practice. We’re grateful to the Lilly Endowment for their generous support to make this resource available to this audience anytime and anywhere they listen to podcasts.”

The Wholehearted Households Podcast will be available through YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast distributors. Check out a sneak peek of the show on Tuesday, September 24, on any of these podcast players or on the IVP YouTube page.

Contact:  Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com

SEPTEMBER 15, 2025–Over the last several years, HarperCollins has been growing capabilities in the areas of direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms, data engineering, and product development and announces the following staff promotions and updates.

Kate Johnson will take on the expanded role of Senior Vice President, DTC and Consumer Engagement. In this new role, Kate will lead efforts to scale and improve ecommerce strategy to establish stronger direct relationships with readers. She will continue leading HarperCollins Christian and Focus platforms, such as Bible Gateway, Study Gateway, and The Foyer, in addition to the US and Harlequin Trade platforms, including Book Club Girl and Epic Reads. She will also spearhead the unification of HarperCollins’s TikTok Shop strategy under one coordinated approach. Finally, Kate will lead the revamp of email and performance marketing strategy, with an emphasis on product-driven campaigns that prioritize email acquisition and sales conversions.

Since joining HarperCollins in 2020, Kate has been instrumental in the growth of HCCP’s DTC business, nearly tripling its revenue under her guidance. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership, creativity, strategic vision, and a proven ability to drive growth and innovation for HarperCollins. Kate will dual report to Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Liate Stehlik, President and Publisher, William Morrow and HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Alvar Jover will take on an expanded role as Global Director of Growth and Analytics, adding the US Trade business to his purview. Alvar will bring the strategic analysis, data engineering, and product development tools and processes his team has successfully implemented at HarperCollins UK to the US business. He has done an exceptional job optimizing revenue growth strategies for HarperCollins UK, and we look forward to expanding these efforts to our US titles. Alvar will continue to report to Charlie Redmayne, CEO, HarperCollins UK.

Doug Lockhart, SVP, Sales and Marketing, HCCP, will continue to oversee the HarperCollins Sales Department on an interim basis.

With these changes, Jim Hanas, Vice President, Central Marketing and Strategy, will be leaving the organization. Jim joined HarperCollins in 2013 as Director of Audience Development and has since played a pivotal role in growing our central marketing function.

In addition, Stephen Smith has been promoted to Vice President, Digital Products and Brands, for HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

“These changes will allow for a more unified and collaborative work structure across various HarperCollins divisions and underscore our commitment to reaching readers where they are, strengthening our consumer connections, and accelerating growth across all of our publishing brands,” stated CEO Brian Murray.

Hosted by author and editor Karen Stiller, the podcast features “bold, loving, and sensible” conversations with NavPress authors and staff on writing, ministry, and spirituality.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 19, 2025) — In continued celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, NavPress is launching the Good Books, Big Questions podcast on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Hosted by Karen Stiller and centered on “bold, loving, and sensible conversations about faith” — a motto inspired by The Message^® translation of 2 Timothy 1:5–7 — the new podcast will feature candid interviews with NavPress authors and staff on the complex issues that inform their writing, ministry, and personal spirituality.

“This podcast is for anyone who is earnestly pursuing — or rebuilding — their faith,” said Dave Zimmerman, publisher of NavPress. “Our hope is that these conversations will help people feel less alone in their questions and more hopeful about where the questions might take them.”

Good Books, Big Questions is hosted by NavPress author Karen Stiller, former editor of Faith Today magazine and founding host of the Faith Today podcast. She says of the new podcast, “I get to speak with authors and editors who don’t hide from tough questions about faith. How does the biblical story deal with resentment, insecurity, and the other things that keep us up at night? How might Christian faith speak into experiences of racial trauma, abandonment, and grief? How can writing serve as a form of deep communion with others as we navigate the complexities of life together? This is the kind of dialogue we want to make room for.”

Good Books, Big Questions will be available on all major podcast streaming platforms. Guests featured in season one include Joyce Koo Dalrymple, author of several LifeChange Bible studies and contributor to The Message^® Women’s Devotional Bible; Jared Ayers, author of You Can Trust a God with Scars; Norman Hubbard, author of More Than Christians; and other NavPress authors and staff members. Season two will be released in early 2026.

To learn more about the ministry of NavPress, visit www.navpress.com.

About NavPress
NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message^® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same^®.” Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently-owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.

Contact:  Mariah Franklin, Marketing and PR Content Editor, (719) 594-2563, mariah.franklin@navigators.org

Grow in God’s Love, Mercy, and Grace

Women are under so much pressure from every angle that sometimes we need to be reminded of the foundation of grace that is under us. The book of Romans holds a beautiful message and convincing argument of God’s grace to us through his Son.

In You Stand in Grace: Devotions for Walking in Faith (New Growth Press/ September 15, 2025), conference speaker Abi Byrd invites women to walk with her through Romans and experience firsthand how the gospel transforms lives by revealing God’s great mercy. Each of the eight weeks of this devotional Bible study focuses on a theme of faith such as dependence, cultivating faithfulness, growing in God’s love, and pursuing unity. Byrd helps readers understand how to flourish in the reality of God’s grace, live a life transformed by faith, and foster deeper connection within our Christian community.

“You Stand in Grace will begin by showing us how desperately we need a Savior and how Christ has perfectly met that need by making us righteous in him. It will tackle what living a new life in Christ looks like as we walk in faith. We will wonder at God’s love for us and be challenged to love others in the same way. We will learn how to be unified around the gospel, and we will end by examining the hope of eternal life that we have in Jesus,” writes Byrd.

While many find Romans an intimidating book to study because Paul’s teaching can be challenging to understand, Byrd makes it approachable, in small sections accompanied by stories and illustrations that make it relatable and applicable to daily life. Romans not only has much to encourage believers personally, but it also speaks to Christian communities, exhorting believers to live in love as the body of Christ, unified in the gospel.

“For a long time, I avoided Romans! The concepts Paul was explaining felt​too complicated for me, and I was scared to wade in. I wonder if you have felt the same hesitation. But the Holy Spirit nudged me to dive into it deeply, and I have learned to treasure the truths I have found here,” Byrd confesses. “Spending time in Romans has encouraged me, stretched me, driven me to my knees, and caused me to praise God in wonder for his great love, mercy, and faithfulness. I hope it will do the same for you.”

Each of the forty days in You Stand in Grace follows an easy-to-follow format of a Scripture reading, devotional reflection, and simple application questions and is suitable for individuals or small groups. Every week ends with a challenge to share the truths that were learned that week with someone in their lives. The devotions are relatable for busy women of all ages and stages, making this book perfect for gift-giving as well. Women will rediscover how the great mercy of God fuels endurance and hope through all the ups and downs of life.

This beautifully designed devotional is part of the Gospel Truth for Women series, helping women to identify their struggles, go to Scripture to meet God, then share those truths with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Devotionals by Trish Donohue, Aimee Joseph, and Nana Dolce are now available with future titles planned for release in 2026 and beyond by authors including Joanna Kimbrel, Katie Polski, and Kristie Anyabwile.

You Stand in Grace: Devotions for Walking in Faith
Gospel Truth for Women Series
By Abi Byrd
Print ISBN: 978-1-64507-509-7
September 15, 2025/ Retail Price: $19.99
RELIGION / Christian Living / Devotional

Abi Byrd serves as a Ministry Associate at McLean Bible Church in northern VA, overseeing her campus children’s ministry and teaching the Bible to women. She is a retreat speaker and an instructor for Women’s Workshops for the Simeon Trust and for Gospel Rooted Women. She and her family served on the mission field in the Balkans, and they have lived in both the US and the UK. Abi is the author of You Stand in Grace: Devotions for Walking in Faith. Learn more at abibyrd.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings – audra@newgrowthpress.com  

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 22. 2025—Christian publisher and music company David C Cook is celebrating its 150th anniversary with the unveiling of a new parent brand—Cook Media Global—signaling the nonprofit ministry’s commitment to growth in the ever-evolving media landscape.

The strategic rebranding establishes Cook Media Global as the new parent company overseeing a diverse portfolio of brands in books, curriculum, music and other discipleship resources.

“With the acquisitions of Integrity Music, Group Publishing and more exciting plans to come, we’ve simply outgrown our name,” said Bill Reeves, CEO of Cook Media Global. “It’s time to graduate to a new level of ministry, one that encompasses our current brands under one umbrella and represents an expanded vision to better meet the needs of today’s Church.”

Under the new corporate architecture, each of Cook Media Global’s cornerstone brands—David C Cook, Integrity Music and Group Publishing—will continue to operate within their distinct identities, while benefiting from the shared resources of the parent organization.

“Ministry is not a single-platform experience,” said Reeves. “By establishing a family of brands with expertise in multiple media disciplines, we can enhance books by adding interactive digital experiences; pair VBS programs with music playlists; and introduce local artists to a global audience. We now have more opportunities to equip the Church with Christ-centered resources for making and teaching disciples.”

Founded by David Caleb Cook in 1875, the ministry began with the goal of creating age-appropriate, quality Sunday school materials for children after the Great Chicago Fire. As demand for discipleship resources grew, the publishing company became one of the largest industrial employers in the Chicagoland area after it moved to Elgin, Ill., in the early 1880s.

The publisher expanded its discipleship portfolio through award-winning products like The Action Bible, The Chosen Bible study series, and Standard Lesson Commentary. It continues to attract best-selling authors like Francis Chan and J. Warner Wallace, and its books and resources are distributed in more than 100 languages worldwide.

The addition of Integrity Music—with artists such as Matt Redman, Paul Baloche and Israel Houghton—enables the ministry to disciple people through song, while Group Publishing’s leading vacation Bible school programs minister to the younger generations.

“Standing on our founder’s principles, David C Cook has continued to grow to meet the needs of both new and existing believers,” said Jana Zachman, president of Cook Media Global. “Today, Cook Media Global provides the framework for our ministry to clarify our existing brands while exploring new opportunities for us to serve the Church through creative content for generations to come.”

Now headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., and with offices in Loveland, Colo., Franklin, Tenn., and Brighton, East Sussex (UK), Cook Media Global maintains a presence in Elgin, Ill., where it recently opened a 155,000-square-foot distribution center to accommodate growth.

The new Cook Media Global brand was unveiled at the David C Cook 150th anniversary celebration that took place in Denver on September 19.

For more information on Cook Media Global, including historical background, photos from the anniversary celebration, and interview requests, please contact CookMediaGlobal@guardian.agency. A link to media resources, including brand assets and photos from the celebration, is available here.

CONTACT:  Alli Ehrhardt, 541.973.1994

SEPTEMBER 4, 2025–We are delighted to announce that SPCK Group has won Christian Book of the Year and Autobiography of the Year at the Christian Resources Together (CRT) Awards 2025, for two of its leading titles.

The Girl from Montego Bay by Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Britain’s first Black woman’s bishop, was crowned Autobiography of the Year, while Discovering Christianity by Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, was awarded Book of the Year. Full title details below.

The winning titles were announced at the CRT Awards ceremony on the 3^rd of September, as part of the annual CRT Conference, a key event bringing together Christian publishers, retailers, and authors.

The CRT Awards highlight the very best in Christian publishing, bookselling, and resources that inspire and equip the church.

SPCK Group is the UK’s third-oldest publishing house and has been active since 1698. Under CEO Sam Richardson, the company merged with Inter-Varsity Press (IVP UK) in 2015, and acquired Lion Hudson in 2021, becoming the largest Christian publisher in the country. 

Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK Group, says: “We are thrilled to have won both Christian Book of the Year and Autobiography of the Year for two of our outstanding titles: Discovering Christianity and The Girl from Montego Bay. Both books were not only brilliantly written, but superbly edited, published, and propelled into the national spotlight through bold, innovative, and highly strategic marketing and publicity campaigns. From a flagship launch at Waterstones Piccadilly for The Girl from Montego Bay to the creation of a dynamic video course for Discovering Christianity, our teams ensured these titles resonated with the widest possible audience. These awards are a powerful testament to the enduring impact of our remarkable authors and their commitment to sharing the transformative hope of the gospel”.

Autobiography of the Year
Title: The Girl from Montego Bay: The autobiography of Britain’s first Black Woman Bishop
Author: Bishop Rose Hudson Wilkin
Publication date: 16 Jan 2025
Publisher: SPCK Publishing
ISBN: 9780281089604
Hardback 

Book of the Year
Title: Discovering Christianity: A Guide for The Curious
Author: Rowan Williams
Publication date: 20 Feb 2025
Publisher: SPCK Publishing
ISBN: 9780281090631
Paperback 

Press contact:  Emily Beater; ebeater@spck.org.uk
For social posts, please use the following handles:

• Twitter – @SPCKPublishing 
• Instagram – @spck_publishing 
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SPCKPublishing/

FROM SILENCE TO STRENGTH: AMY DUGGAR KING EXPOSES LIFE BEHIND REALITY TV’S 19 KIDS AND COUNTING IN HER BOLD DEBUT MEMOIR 

HOLY DISRUPTOR, A STORY OF FAITH, FREEDOM, AND FINDING HER VOICE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 7, 2025) – Abuse doesn’t always leave bruises. Sometimes, it hides behind smiles, religious platitudes, and the picture-perfect image of a reality TV family. Amy Duggar King knows this all too well.

Labeled the “Crazy Cousin” on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, King was cast as comic relief in a family hiding generations of secrets. But behind the scenes, she was wrestling with trauma, toxic theology, and the generational cycles of abuse that quietly ripple through families.

In her explosive memoir, Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder with the Truth (Zondervan, October 14, 2025), Amy is telling the truth—all of it. From painful personal experiences to never-before-heard stories inside the Duggar world, Amy reveals for the first time the toxicity she lived through and the faith that helped her survive it. With unfiltered honesty and unshakable courage, she shares how she broke free from dysfunction, reclaimed her voice, and learned to trust God rather than an image others expected her to protect.

“Finding my voice took some time, but I finally discovered it,” says King, “and I am no longer afraid to stand up for what is right. I’m ready to tell the truth about what I have been through, to push myself to my limits, and to force myself to confront parts of myself and my past that I would prefer to leave buried.”

According to the National Children’s Alliance, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience child abuse. And about 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know and trust their abuser, who is often a relative (CDC). That’s what makes Amy Duggar King’s story all the more relevant. Her cousin, Josh Duggar, may be the one behind bars, but as Amy reveals, he’s not the only abuser in the family. Her memoir makes it painfully clear: the pattern of control, secrecy, and abuse has been woven through generations, affecting not just individuals but an entire legacy. And abuse will multiply unless someone dares to stop it. Holy Disruptor is Amy’s line in the sand.

“For too long, we’ve confused silence with righteousness,” Amy says. “But healing begins when the truth is louder than the lie. I was always told, ‘You are too loud, Amy.’ Well, I haven’t been loud enough. And I’m about to get even louder.”

Detailing her difficult story, Amy shares that experiencing trauma doesn’t mean someone is broken—and being a holy disruptor doesn’t mean rejecting God. Instead, it means standing up against harmful beliefs and practices, even when they’re presented under the guise of virtue..

With raw vulnerability and righteous boldness, Amy shares her journey from spiritual confusion and emotional abuse to healing and wholeness. She opens up about:

• Being silenced, dismissed, and controlled behind closed doors
• Reconciling her love for God with the toxic theology that tried to crush her
• Breaking generational cycles of trauma, shame, and silence
• The truth behind the “family values” brand America thought it knew

Holy Disruptor is King’s raw, treacherous journey to breaking free, reminding readers that they too have the power to not only disrupt generational cycles but to live with passion, purpose, and most importantly, peace.

“This is a story of a little girl born into what would become a very famous family, but who also had deep heartache and trauma of her own that no one outside her house knew much about,” King says. “This is also a story of escaping control, manipulation, and abuse from almost everyone close to me as I fought to find out who I truly was.”

Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder with the Truth releases October 14, 2025 and is available for pre-order now at holydisruptorbook.com. Follow Amy’s journey on Instagram at @amyrachelleking.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse:

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Amy Duggar King grew up appearing on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, but today, she’s using her authentic, God-given voice to encourage others who want to be free of dysfunctional families, toxic situations, or cycles of abuse. She appeared in season one of the documentary Shiny Happy People, and she regularly appears in publications such as Vanity Fair, People, Business Insider, Us Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. She lives in northwest Arkansas with her husband, Dillon, and her son, Daxton.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:  Zondervan is a HarperCollins company and part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Zondervan is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian communications. The company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For additional information, please visit zondervan.com.

 

Adoption—a Beautiful Reflection of Divine Grace

BIRMINGHAM, AL — With warmth, candor, and 35 years of experience as an adoption attorney, Alice H. Murray invites readers into the heart of adoption in her powerful new book, God Adopted Us First. This unique devotional pairs poignant, true adoption stories with scripture, reflective questions, and practical steps for spiritual growth.

From laughter to tears, readers will discover how God’s fingerprints are all over the process of uniting families—and how adoption is a profound reflection of His divine love.

“Not only does Alice Murray give us a fascinating glimpse into the world of an adoption attorney, she speaks to the very heart of what it means to be adopted into the family of God,” says Annette Marie Griffin, adoptive mother and award-winning author.

Acclaimed author Lenora Worth adds, “I laughed and cried through most of these amazing stories that show us God is always in the details.”

God Adopted Us First is more than a book on adoption—it’s an invitation to see God’s grace in every chapter of life.

To book Alice H. Murray for an interview or to request a review copy, please email kim.mcculla@ironstreammedia.com. Limited supply of giveaway copies available for special events and interviews. Orders may be placed by calling 888-811-9934 or emailing orders@ironstreammedia.com.

ISBN-13:  978-1-56309-781-2
Release Date:  October 7, 2025
Availability Date:  September 9, 2025