NASHVILLE, Tenn., December 2023 – Zondervan Books, a leading publisher of Christian literature, announces a two-book book deal with Patrick Miller and Keith Simon.  Miller and Simon are pastors at The Crossing in Columbia, Missouri, and host two podcasts, Truth Over Tribe and Ten Minute Bible Talks.

“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick and Keith to the Zondervan Books family. Patrick and Keith have proven to be dynamic co-authors speaking into cultural issues most important to readers. We look forward to working with them on their next books and seeing how they impact readers during these critical times,” said Webster Younce, Zondervan Books VP and Publisher.

Miller holds an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary. He is a contributor to platforms such as The Gospel Coalition and Mere Orthodoxy and has also written for publications including Christianity Today, Newsweek and Christ and Pop Culture. Additionally, he’s been interviewed by more than 50 podcasts and has spoken at events such as Theology in the Raw’s Exiles in Babylon conference and TGC’s Good Faith Debates.

Simon began his ministry serving for five years with Cru, before pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has written for Newsweek and The Gospel Coalition and frequently speaks as a guest on podcasts across the United States.

“I am so pleased to work with Patrick and Simon on their next books. Their theological insight and cultural understanding will serve readers well,” said Paul J. Pastor, senior acquisitions editor for Zondervan Books.

Their first planned book with Zondervan is titled Out of Place and set to release in January 2025. The book helps readers navigate the increasingly hostile culture and guides them through five Biblical postures and practices designed to help them navigate tension and build God’s kingdom in their everyday life.

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 www.zondervan.com

Contact: Kristin Cole, Zondervan Books, kristin@kcolecommunications.com

“If we can inspire people who work in the arts to steer their creativity toward the Lord,
it will be culture-changing.”  – Bill Reeves

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 4, 2023—Amid celebrating three wins at the 54^th GMA Dove Awards and two consecutive seasons with titles on USA Today’s Best-selling Booklist, Christian publisher and music company David C Cook announced today that Bill Reeves will serve as the ministry’s new CEO.

For 35 years, Reeves has dedicated his career to using music, books and movies to tell the world about Jesus. His passion and talent are evidenced by his storied career: more than 20 gold and platinum records in the music industry, an agent for many bestselling books and executive producer of more than two dozen films and home entertainment titles, placing many in the top 10 opening weekend at the box office.

As CEO of David C Cook and Integrity Music, Reeves will continue to innovate products, platforms and strategies to meet spiritual needs and deliver creative content in a way that draws hearts closer to God.

“Telling the world about Jesus through entertainment and media has always been my calling in life,” said Reeves. “I’m excited to join a team dedicated to connecting people with their faith through music, books and media. If we can inspire people who work in the arts to steer their creativity toward the Lord, it will be culture-changing.” 

David C Cook retained Korn Ferry, an internationally known executive search firm, to conduct a thorough executive search, using rigorous qualifications established by the ministry’s board of trustees.

“Bill Reeves’ heart for our mission—combined with his vast industry knowledge—stood out among the many applicants,” said Todd Rankin, Chairman of the Board. “We believe Bill’s experience has brought him to this moment in our story, equipping him to lead David C Cook into this next season.”

About David C Cook

David C Cook is a nonprofit dedicated to equipping the global church with leadership, discipleship and worship resources to help Christians grow in faith and pass it along to the next generation. Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, is committed to taking songs of substance to the local church and its leaders around the world.

Read more about David C Cook and its global ministry outreach online at www.davidccook.org.

Three Other Crossway Titles Receive Distinction

November 27, 2023 – WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (June 2023) by Lucy S. R. Austen was one of two biographies to win a 2023 WORLD Magazine Books of the Year award.

In this single-volume biography, Lucy S. R. Austen takes readers on an in-depth journey through the life of Elisabeth Elliot—her birth to missionary parents, her courtship and marriage to Jim Elliot, her missions work in Ecuador, and her private life and public work after she returned to the United States. Through Elliot’s example of love for God and obedience to his commands, readers will ponder what it means to follow Jesus.

WORLD commends, “In her biography Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (Crossway 2023), author Lucy S. R. Austen presents her subject as someone to be admired, and not simply because of her wisdom or bravery. Elliot’s words should not be taken as gospel, but her understanding of the gospel should be taken seriously.”

Three other Crossway titles were awarded honorable mention in this year’s awards: A Praying Church by Paul E. Miller (January 2023), Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James (September 2023), and Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield (September 2023).

“There are thousands of Christian books published each year, so we are always gratified and delighted when our books are read and recognized and recommended in this way,” says Justin Taylor, Crossway’s executive vice president of book publishing. “We are thankful to God for these outstanding books by Lucy S. R. Austen, Samuel James, Paul E. Miller, and Rosaria Butterfield!”

In all, 17 titles were highlighted by WORLD magazine staff for the 2023 Books of the Year issue, highlighting different genres including history, biographies, religion, science, parenting, and contemporary social and political issues. WORLD’s Timothy Lamer notes, “These books all offer important insights into this world in which we are sojourners called to love our neighbors.”

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org, 1 (630) 682-4300, ext. 6031

New Release From “The Book-Banning Pastor” Seeks Truth

Hoodwinked addresses lies Americans believe and provides tools to counter the false narrative

WASHINGTON, D.C., (December 4, 2023) — Pastor, author, and activist John Amanchukwu Sr., is set to release his sophomore book Hoodwinked: 10 Lies Americans Believer and the Truth That Will Set Them Free (Salem Books, May 28, 2024). Hookwinked neuters ten of the most insidious lies at work in society today and provides readers with the tools needed to counter the false narratives and be beacons of hope in their relationships and communities. It also includes a foreword from Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA.

Amanchukwu’s compelling stand against gender ideology and
race-baiting at school board meetings across the country has attracted a huge online audience and made him a leading voice for biblical justice. Derided as “the Book-Banning Pastor” by his critics, Amanchukwu understands that the best way to heal our wounded and battered culture and restore sanity to our once-great nation is to expose the lies for what they are. And the best way to do that is to speak the truth.

“From Hollywood to mainstream media, to the halls of our children’s classroom, lies and propaganda exist everywhere,” Amanchukwu said. “The only way—the only way—we can stop the spread of these lies is to speak truth. The Gospel of John tells us ‘the truth will set us free’ and in Hoodwinked, we confront those lies head-on with the Gospel as our guide.”

Hoodwinked explores 10 lies in society today—everything from the supposedly racist roots of America to the myth that debt can be cancelled to the pornography currently being peddled as children’s literature. Amanchukwu provides the training and ammunition needed for readers to become a leader in the fight for our country.

The head of Salem Books, Julie Jayne, shares her enthusiasm for the pending release. “We are honored and proud to partner once again with John Amanchukwu as he diligently works to help open the eyes of believers and non-believers alike to the realities of what is happening in our world. Hoodwinked will shock and educate readers, and we look forward to bringing light to the world through this work.”

One can pre-order a copy of Hoodwinked here.

John K. Amanchukwu Sr. is a preacher, author, and activist whose passion for the next generation pours out on audiences nationwide. He holds a master’s degree in Christian ministry from Liberty University and has led ministries to youth and young adults for many years. In addition, he spent twelve years ministering outside one of the busiest abortion clinics in the Southeast. Currently, he is a contributor with Turning Point Faith, and the First Assistant and Youth Pastor at the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he lives with his wife and their three children. His first book, Eraced, was released in October 2022.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Hance, publicity@SalemBooks.com

The 5LL team recently approached Faceout Studio to help them update their branding and book packaging.

The 5 Love Languages® have become a cultural reference point for how we give and receive love. Once you understand the Love Language® concepts, you see them everywhere. This was the inspiration for the new brand design. The goal was to create an experience for the viewer—a moment of realization where you see something hidden that was there all along. What do you see?

Brand design and related brand assets by Tim Green.

It’s been an honor to work with an amazing team on this time tested and hugely influential book franchise. Thank you to Moody Publishers and the amazing 5LL team! We can’t wait to see where you take the 5 Love Languages® brand next!

November 2023 | Lisle, IL—IVP creative director David Fassett was honored for his design work with six 2023 Top Shelf Book Cover Awards by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). The Top Shelf Book Cover Awards program is managed by ECPA to recognize design excellence in the Christian publishing industry.

“David Fassett is one of IVP’s greatest assets,” said Cindy Bunch, IVP vice president, editorial. ”These awards are a testament to the range of his design abilities, including both academic and trade lines: general spirituality, apologetics, theology, and pastoral ministry. He is always pressing boundaries, inviting readers to pick up our books and explore new ways of seeing God at work in the world. I am so grateful to have David Fassett as the IVP art director. We are honored to have him receive these awards.”

Fassett joined InterVarsity Press (IVP) as a marketing designer in 2009. He was promoted to senior graphic designer in 2014, to art director in May 2017, and now serves as IVP’s creative director.

Fassett’s six award-winning cover designs in the nonfiction category include:

• Creating the Canon: Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament by Benjamin P. Laird
• Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue by Richard J. Foster
• More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture by Paul Louis Metzger
• The Offensive Church: Breaking the Cycle of Ethnic Disunity by Bryan C. Loritts
• The Resilience Factor: A Step-by-Step Guide to Catalyze an Unbreakable Team by Ryan T. Hartwig, Léonce B. Crump Jr., and Warren Bird
• Wandering Toward God: Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions by Travis Dickinson

ECPA announced the winners of this year’s awards during ECPA PubU Online, the industry’s publishing training program gathering over three hundred publishing professionals this year. ECPA president Jeff Crosby announced the winners in four categories: Bibles, Children, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. This year’s judges reviewed nearly two hundred fifty entries and chose a record number of forty-one winning designs from sixteen publishers, with the design teams at Crossway, InterVarsity Press, and Moody Publishers earning half of the wins. Winning book covers are featured at TopShelfAwards.org.

For a complete archived list of IVP’s Top Shelf Award-winning book covers, visit ivpress.com/award-winners

Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill.—November 16, 2023—Three Tyndale books were honored in the 2023 winning class of ECPA’s Top Shelf Book Cover Awards, celebrating design excellence in Christian publishing. The award winners were announced during ECPA PubU on November 10 by ECPA president Jeff Crosby. Top Shelf Awards were presented across the following four categories:  Bibles, Children, Fiction, and Nonfiction.

Tyndale titles and designers awarded with a Top Shelf Book Cover Award are:

CHILDREN’S CATEGORY

Your Brave Song
Designer: Jacqueline L. Nuñez
Illustrator: Amy Grimes
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

FICTION CATEGORY

Dear Henry, Love Edith
Designer: Libby Dykstra
Art Director: Dean H. Renninger
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Indigo Isle
Designer: Lindsey Bergsma
Art Director: Dean H. Renninger
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

In response to the receipt of these awards, senior design manager Barb Hill shared, “We are grateful to be recognized for design excellence in these categories. I read all of the amazing stories behind the celebrated designs, and each recognized cover is a beautiful reflection of the rich content inside.”

For more information, please contact katiedodillet@tyndale.com.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a substantial portion of annual revenue—millions of dollars per year—through corporate donations and the work of Tyndale House Foundation. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

The Top Shelf Book Cover Award program is managed by ECPA in order to recognize design excellence in the Christian publishing industry. TopShelfAward.org

ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) 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

Contact: Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com, 630.784.5275

Ada, Mich. (November 17, 2023)—On Thursday, November 16, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the 2023 Christy Award winners in an online webcast hosted by award-winning author and radio personality Chris Fabry and ECPA president Jeff Crosby. The Christy Awards celebrated winners in nine fiction categories along with special recognition for the Book of the Year Award and the Amplify Award. For a complete list of the 2023 Christy Award winners, please visit https://www.christyawards.com/finalists-winners.html. Five Baker Publishing Group authors were recipients of this prestigious award, including:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh
Bethany House; ISBN 9780764238963; Ebook ISBN 9781493439133; September 13, 2022; $16.99; Paper

Fashion aficionado Iris Blakely dreams of using her talent to start a business to help citizens in impoverished areas. But when she discovers that Ekon Diallo will be her business consultant, the battle between her desires and reality begins. Can she keep her heart—and business—intact despite the challenges she faces?

 

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FIRST NOVEL (Tie)

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
Revell; ISBN 9780800740276; Ebook ISBN 9781493436354; July 5, 2022; $15.99; Paper

Frustrated reporter Aidyn Kelley begrudgingly agrees to help a hospice patient prepare her obituary. But old Clara Kip has some incredible stories—and some surprises up her sleeve—that promise to make this seemingly throwaway assignment a life-changing one.

 

 

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GENERAL FICTION

Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner
Bethany House; ISBN 9780764240393; Ebook ISBN 9781493439126; October 11, 2022; $16.99; Paper

After an accident brings businessman Eric Larson and eccentric Eunice Parker together, the unlikely pair spends more time with each other than they would like while facing challenges beyond what they imagined. As Eunice comes to accept her terminal illness, they both wrestle with an important question: What matters most when the end is near?

 

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HISTORICAL ROMANCE

The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz
Revell; ISBN 9780800740672; Ebook ISBN 9781493439713; January 3, 2023; $17.99; Paper

Amid the Jacobite uprising of 1715, an English heiress flees to the Scottish lowlands to stay with allies of her powerful family. But while castle walls may protect her from the enemy outside, a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting allegiances, and temptations of the heart lie within.

 

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MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard (Missing in Alaska #1)
Revell; ISBN 9780800742041; Ebook ISBN 9781493439775; February 7, 2023; $16.99; Paper

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job when an unexpected wave of violent crime sweeps through her small Alaskan town. Does Grier Carter, a relative newcomer to town, actually have her back? Or is she all alone as the body count rises?

 

In addition to the award presentation, legendary novelists Janette Oke and Davis Bunn reflected on their rewarding and long-lasting writing careers. Janette also offered this heartfelt blessing: “May this evening be a reminder to all who take part that God has given us a wonderful privilege of sharing His message through our ‘paper missionaries’ that can go where we do not go and relate to people we will not meet. May you sense His blessing.”

Baker Publishing Group offers their congratulations to all the Christy Award winners and would like to acknowledge the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for administering the Christy Awards, which honors and promotes excellence in fiction.

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.

Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, seeks to uplift readers’ families, faith, and free time with our library of industry-leading fiction and bestselling, Christ-centered nonfiction.

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

November 2023 | LISLE, IL—IVP Academic’s Ministers of a New Medium was named the best major publication by the Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) at its fiftieth annual Awards Banquet on November 2. Every year, the CHI Awards Banquet honors scholars from across the nation—even, in some years, across the globe—who are moving Lutheran history forward through their research and publications.

In Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier Kirk D. Farney explores the work of two groundbreaking leaders in religious broadcasting: Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. These clergymen and professors—one a Catholic priest, the other a Lutheran minister—each led the way in combining substantive theology and emerging technology to spread the gospel over the airwaves. Through weekly nationwide broadcasts, Maier’s The Lutheran Hour and Sheen’s Catholic Hour attracted listeners across a spectrum of denominational and religious affiliations, establishing their hosts—and Christian radio itself—as cultural and religious forces to be reckoned with.

Farney examines how Sheen and Maier used their exceptional erudition, their sensitivity to the times, their powerful communication skills, and their unwavering Christian conviction, all for the purpose of calling the souls of listeners and the soul of a nation to repentance and godliness. Their combination of talents also brought their respective denominations, Roman Catholicism and Missouri Synod Lutheranism, from the periphery of the American religious landscape to a much greater level of recognition and acceptance. With careful attention to both the theological content and the cultural influence of these masters of a new medium, Farney’s study sheds new light on the history of media and Christianity in the United States.

“This dual biography offers compelling portraits of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier, each of whom had a rare ability to both cultivate and communicate theological insights,” said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, University of Notre Dame. “Pairing these media sensations—one Catholic, one Lutheran—allows Farney to tell a story about religion and radio in American culture that is even broader and more interesting than the sum of its parts. In an age when many lament the corrosive effect of new media on faith and morals, the efforts of Sheen and Maier to harness emerging technologies in service of their respective faith traditions offer not only an interesting story about America’s past but also a measure of hope for its future.”

Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) is the Department of Archives and History for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. CHI exists to trumpet the treasures of the Lutheran legacy. In addition to its activities as an active archive open to the public for research, CHI also seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of the church’s history within the LCMS through maintaining two museum exhibits, recognizing major publications on Lutheran history, and sharing the story of the LCMS and her faith with the world.

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

Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com

November 17, 2023, WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that eleven cover designs were awarded an ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award for design excellence at the ECPA PubU Online event on November 10, 2023.

The Biggest Story Curriculum: Box Set (June 2023), designed by Don Clark of Invisible Creature, was named a winner in the Children’s category.

The ESV Church History Study Bible, designed by Jordan Singer, and the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series, designed by Matt Stevens, each won in the Bible category.

Eight Crossway covers earned distinction in the nonfiction category:

• A Christian’s Guide to Mental Illness by David Murray and Tom Karel Jr., designed by Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
• All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper, designed by Jordan Singer
• Beauty Is Your Destiny by Philip Ryken, designed by Tim Green
• Friendship with God by Mike McKinley, designed by Spencer Fuller, Faceout Studio
• Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung, designed by Jordan Singer
• Remaking the World by Andrew Wilson, designed by Jordan Eskovitz
• Short of Glory by Mitchell L. Chase, designed by Tim Green
• The Upside Down Kingdom by Chris Castaldo, designed by Jordan Singer

“We are grateful for the way ECPA recognizes the value of design and celebrates creative excellence across our industry,” says Dan Farrell, Crossway’s vice president of creative. “These awards provide a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the good work of many talented designers. Congratulations to all who were honored this year.”

In all, the 2023 Top Shelf Awards named forty-one winners in four categories. More information about each of the winners can be found at TopShelfAward.org/winners.html.

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org, crossway.org