Christian Fiction: The Gift That Keeps On Giving, in Digital and Print

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A QUARTERLY RESOURCE FEBRUARY 2012 VOL.54

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Religion Update

Amid shifting genres, Christian fiction finds inspiration in nostalgia and timeless themes

broadening. I think well especially start seeing Regency fiction emerge. He notes that Julie Klassens The Maid of Fairbourne Hall (Jan.) was published with wonderful acclaim and success, and agents have been passing on a lot of Regency proposals that will likely see print in the future. Revell editorial director Jennifer Leep also sees Regency period books as a smaller trend thats picking up steam. While others had attempted it, Julie Klassens books gave it traction, and authors like Laurie Alice By Cindy Crosby Eakes and Ruth Axtel are growing the trend, Leep says. Worthy Publishing also he more things change, reaches toward Britain in the more they stay the its first-time venture into samethe old saw fiction this spring with describes the state of The Irish Healer by Nancy Christian fiction in Herriman (Apr.). The 2012. Try to spot novel is set in London inspirational fiction trends for during the 1832 cholera spring, and you could get run epidemic, and it is a over by an Amish buggy. But powerful story of a young could the bonnet craze be coolwomans struggle to trust ing off? As PW looks at the catGod to rebuild her life egory at the start of a new year, Romance is at the core of books set in the Regency period, in Britain, and during after she is falsely accused it appears the appetite for all and after WWII. get ready for the British invasion. Says of murder, says Jeana Ledbetter, v-p of things Lancaster County, while still Ami McConnell, senior acquisitions editorial. healthy, may be spawning new, perhaps editor at Thomas Nelson, Many Still, American 20th-century novels smaller, trends. Romance and the longChristian fiction historical novels are set are still going strong. B&H has Amish ing for a simpler life, along with nostalin early America, but with the rising fiction, with Beyond Hopes Valley by gia for the pioneer spirit, are fueling the popularity of Downton Abbey, I expect and Tricia Goyer (Apr.), the third novel in imaginations of authors and the acquisihope well see more novels set in Britain. her Big Sky Amish series set in Montana, tions of publishers. There is strong appeal in a more pastoral but WWII continues to be very life with the requisite servants, manor, popular, especially among baby LOVE + HISTORY and a precarious inheritance, McConnell boomers, says Julie Gwinn, manager of Donna Kehoe, executive director of the says. Ramona Richards, acquisitions fiction acquisitions and marketing at Christy Awards for Fiction since their editor at Abingdon Press, adds that the B&H Publishing Group. Gwinn also inception in 2000, notes there has been popularity of Downton Abbey, and also notes that Irish historical romance and a steady increase in the number of entries Sherlock, will be reflected in fiction coming to America stories of with romance themes over the past five acquired in the next few years. immigrants are trending in a years. In 2012, entries in historical and Rebecca Germany, senior small way. At WaterBrook, contemporary romance categories were fiction editor at Barbour senior fiction editor Shannon up 25% over the romance entries in Publishing, sees the series Marchese points to Where 2008, Kehoe says. As PW talked to prompting more Gilded Age Lilacs Still Bloom by veteran editors, we found that in almost every throughWWI stories set in novelist Jane Kirkpatrick genre romance usually plays a key role England. (Apr.), which features an early perhaps no surprise, since the vast Bethany House senior 20th-century immigrant majority of Christian fiction fans are acquisitions editor Dave Long housewife who leaves a lasting women. says, The eras that were seeing legacy through the more than Historical is gaining the most i n h i s t o r i c a l f i c t i o n a r e Ami McConnell 250 varieties of lilacs she momentum, but not just any historical

Sizzle, Sizzle... Fizzle, Fizzle...

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Nothing promises to keep a spring fiction list afloat like a good historical disaster novel. April 15 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, one of the greatest peacetime shipwreck disasters of all time. The tragedy will be commemorated by Christian publishers with multiple inspirational novels, both new and re-issued. Wife and husband duo Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark join forces for Harvest Houses Echoes of Titanic (Mar.). Its a modern-day mystery about a descendant of a Titanic survivor, interspersed with the story of her ancestor on the ship and what happened that fateful night, senior editor Kim Moore says. In addition to traditional marketing, Harvest Houses v-p of marketing Barb Sherrill has a plethora of promotions planned, ranging from a special Titanic anniversary podcast with the Clarks that will be distributed through Facebook and Twitter, to a Titanic blog tour the week before April 15. Harvest House will also give away Titanic-related items such as games, puzzles, and memorabilia and provide Titanic facts via Facebook and Twitter. Tyndales Promise Me This by two-time Christy Awardwinner Cathy Golhke (Feb.; 11,000-copy first printing) is a dramatic, sweeping love story that opens with the Titanic disaster and continues through the end of WWI, says Jan Stob, senior fiction acquisitions editor. Publicist Christy Stroud says book giveaways and e-blasts are planned, as well as full-page ads in Called, Charisma, Family Fiction, and HomeLife magazines. At Barbour Publishing, By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer (Mar.) offers readers a charming romance with a love triangle, says Rebecca Germany, senior fiction editor. Abingdons Hearts That Survive by Yvonne Lehman (Mar.) will follow the story of two families that were on the Titanic through subsequent generations, showing how the sinking affected their lives, says Ramona Richards, acquisitions editor. Two backlist novels will get a new life when B&H Publishing Group re-releases Jim Walkers Voices of the Titanic (1999) and Murder on the Titanic (1998) as e-books, according to Julie Gwinn, manager of fiction acquisitions and marketing. Both will be available April 1. C.C.

Buoy, Oh, Buoy! Titanic Novels Make Waves

develops. And Christina Boys, editor at FaithWords and Center Street, points to nostalgic fiction that is set in the 1950s, such as Carla Stewarts third n o v e l , S t a rd u s t (May). Another rising genre might be romantic suspense, says Richards; Bethanys Long agrees and points to the May debut of Submerged by Ramona Richards Dani Pettrey (30,000 first printing). The house expects terrific things from it, Long says. And make room on your bookshelves, series aficionados. Thomas Nelson senior v-p and publisher Allen Arnold says the biggest change hes seen in the past year is the growing desire for fresh voices. Readers are less hungry to read the 14th novel from an author or a cookie-cutter series in a proven genre than [they are for] unexpected, fresh stories from a new breed of Christian fiction authors who are rising up, he says. BUGGY SLOWDOWN AHEAD? Tr e n d s , l i k e horses, are easier to ride in the direction they are going, author John Naisbitt once said, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than with the Amish genre. Kim Moore Amish releases this spring are as plentiful as the calories in shoofly pie, and those white bonnets might not only be Amish, either. The genre now includes everything from Mennonite and Shaker characters to books where quilts are central themes. According to Kim Moore, senior editor at Harvest House, subcategories of Amish fiction now include Amish suspense, Amish western, Amish contemporary, and

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like the Amish going away anytime soon. One of the best-known authors with a book out this spring is Beverly Lewis, whose The Fiddler (Apr.; 240,000 first printing) is her first in a series of stories that return to the setting of The Shunning, which launched the bonnet fiction craze. Its full of her trademark storytelling, unforgettable heroines, and charming details, says Bethany Amish novels are still popular, but a crowded field has House fiction publicist Noelle Buss. caused sales to plateau, some publishers say. At WaterBrook, Marchese says Cindy Amish historical. No mentions of Woodsmall continues to enjoy a very Amish science fiction... yet. eager fan base. Her novella, The Scent of Can there be too much of a good thing? Cherry Blossoms, is out February 21; a new Moore says she believes the genre is no series, Amish Vines and Orchards, longer white hot, but believes that is launches September 18 with A Season for not due to diminishing reader interest as Tending. much as to the large numbers of titles in What does the future hold for this the market. Others agree. McConnell at genre rooted in the past? Some editors, Nelson notes that the category has like Boys at FaithWords/Center Street, reached a plateau of sortsthe believe Amish fiction will imitators or those late to the continue to be solid. It has game arent really finding an the same appeal as historical audience. While Amish titles frontier romances or smalltown still provide solid sales for our novels, Boys says. As our list, Thomas Nelson senior society increasingly relies on editor Natalie Hanemann says, the convenience of the Internet over the past three years shes for social interaction, the seen sales level off, which was desire to escape to a simpler expected since the marketplace Becky Philpott lifestyle, a supportive and has been deluged with Amish nurturing community, and novels. more interaction, will One recent success, c o n t i n u e . Z o n d e r v a n s Hanemann says, was The associate acquisitions editor Promise of an Angel by Ruth Becky Philpott sees authors Reid (2011), which combines becoming more creative in Amish romance with an their plots, including other angelic presence. The characters who might have strongest voices in this different lifestyles, but subgenre will stand the test of interact with the Amish in time, she notes, adding that Rebecca Germany their day-to-day lives. novelists like Beth Wiseman have a Adds Long, Amish fiction is its own consistent presence on the Christian genre at this point. It may plateau or bestseller lists. regress a bit, but its not disappearing. Germany at Barbour agrees that the He notes that the books might highlight market is a bit flooded, and according romance a bit more, or, as in the case of to sales we see, there are still only two to Nancy Mehls Mennonite-themed perhaps five authors who write about the Inescapable (June), it might have mystery Amish who are seeing the best sales, she elements. But I dont think [the genre] says. Other sales are not so remarkable. will divert too far from what draws Still, I dont see the interest in people readers to the novels.

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STITCHING TOGETHER A Quilt for Jenna. Senior editor Nick TREND Harrison notes, We are open to It was sew inevitable. One offshoot of further expansion in this area. all things Amish is the quilt novel, But quilt novels dont have to be Amish. complete with patterns or crafting Germany at Barbour points to The Key on instructions. Some titles combine the Quilt (Barbour, Mar.) from Stephanie both Amish themes and quilting, Grace Whitson, which kicks off the Quilt such as Wanda E. Brunstetters The Chronicles series with non-Amish Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club characters. A September release, A (Barbour, Apr.). The book has added Patchwork Christmas, is a collection of three bonuses of Amish quilting history, novellas by Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, photos, and a quilted walland Whitson set in Victorianhanging pattern, says era America. Quilts in historic Germany. FaithWords has settings will play a major role The Hidden Life (June), the in each of the stories, says second in a trio of Amish Germany. quilt novels by Adina Senft In 2013, Abingdon will that include quilting publish the Quilts of Love instructions for readers. series, and its not about the Harvest House will publish Amish, either. The stories the new Apple Creek will cover everything from Dreams series on Amish the Civil War, the gold rush, quilts by Patrick E. Craig, The Amish craze spawned a n d W W I I u p t h r o u g h opening next year with A books on quilting. modern families and

community quilt projects such as the AIDS quilt, says Richards. GO WEST, CHRISTIAN READER Everyone seems to love a cowboy, says Long at Bethany. The books have their own underserved niche, plus I think they can have an appeal to historical romance readers. Bethany House published Yvonne Harriss A River to Cross last yearcomplete with a Texas Ranger and wed certainly consider doing more, Long says. Love is the secret. We only do westerns that have strong romance, says Germany at Barbour, adding that Susan Page Daviss Prairie Dreams series would fit this description. Bestselling author Gilbert Morris will release Riordans Gun, the first in his new Western Justice series for Barbour early next year. The romance and the history should appeal to our core readership of women ages 3080, while still appealing

As books about faith and spirituality remain widely read, PW will continue its commitment to covering the religion category in 2012.
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to some men and young Bonanza in book form adults, Germany says. but does have historical Not only love, but also novels that take place in the specific geography might west. Dawn Comes Early make the difference ( A p r. ) i s M a rg a r e t between success and failure. Brownleys first book in the We are very interested in Brides of Last Chance Ranch Christian westerns, series. The target audience confirms Moore at Harvest for this subgenre is the House. Western-themed woman who may have been stories, especially placed in a fan of Little House on the Texas, seem to be doing Western themes and settings, especially in Texas, are sparking readerand pubPrairie, stories of families lisherinterest. well, but they need to have who traveled west to settle a romantic element to them. Melody romances as a trend thats growing the land and met constant challenges. Carlsons Westward Heart, the first slowly but surely, Richards says. Two Juxtaposing the wild with domestic life book in the Homeward on the Oregon series are currently underway: Shelley offers endless entertaining possibilities, Trail series for Harvest House, releases Grays second book, A Texans Honor in Hanemann says. September 1. And with a nod to the Heart of a Hero series, releases this Moore sees the appeal of western another strong category, Moore will month (Feb.), and Margaret Daleys romances as much the same as those publish The Hearts Frontier (Mar.) by first book in the Men of the Texas in the Amish genre. These are stories Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith. Rangers series, Saving Hope, comes out of simpler times, when life was less This story is AmishmeetsOld West in March. complicated, Moore says. There is and a very fun read, Moore says. Hanemann notes that Thomas Nelson some romance in the honor and At Abingdon, We see western doesnt have westernsnot like ruggedness of the cowboy and life on

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Religion Update
the trail, and also in the good woman and hearth at home waiting for him.

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FANTASY, ANGELS, AND VAMPIRES? OH, MY! Visionary and supernatural are a mixed bag right now for most inspirational publishers. While some told PW they have been disappointed in the genres, others are finding them profitable. At Howard Books, Frank Peretti, the grandfather of Christian supernatural (This Supernatural and fantasy do well for some publishers, Present Darkness, 1986), has Illusion out but disappoint others. March 6; Becky Nesbitt, v-p and editorin a Christian vampire series by Debbie in-chief, calls it a genre-bending novel: Vigui, Kiss of Night (2011). Debbie an epic love story with suspense and time created a vampire mythology that is travel. The forecast also is strong for biblically based and tells a story of supernatural at Thomas Nelson. Within redemption, Boys says, adding, the novels that are generating Supernatural novels often the most buzz, I see a trend appeal most to readers in their toward supernaturalacross teens and 20s, and the core genresthat explores the thin Christian fiction readers are places between the seen and the women in their 40s, which unseen, says Arnold. Its a makes it a challenging category Nelson is continuing to subgenre in Christian fiction. grow, adds acquisitions editor Germany says Barbour is Amanda Bostic. Our extensive Allen Arnold testing the supernatural genre research with focus groups has confirmed with the release of The Soul Saver by a desire among readers for more novels in Dineen Miller (May), which merges this genre, she says. supernatural elements with contemporary Tyndales senior fiction acquisitions womens issues. editor, Jan Stob, notes that theres an appetite for the genre, but in the past, FROM SIZZLE TO FIZZLE? its been tough to break new authors in. Like Silly Bandz, Netflix, and Justin However, she says the genre is doing well Bieber, some genres may be fizzling, in e-books, and I think that will open a l t h o u g h s o m e t i m e s w h a t s l o s t up a wider readership. momentum differs from publisher to Fantasy also looks favorable at some publisher. publishing houses. On the heels of the Cozy mysteries have slowed, says Christy Awardwinning Tales of Harrison at Harvest House, and Germany Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth at Barbour agrees: We had an interest in Stengl, Bethany House is debuting cozy mysteries and their potential in the Prophet by R.J. Larson (Apr.), the first Christian market, but that did not go novel in her Books of the Infinite series. anywhere for us and is no Its a reimagining of the Old Testament longer an interest. prophets, like merging Jeremiah with Philpott at Zondervan notes something like The Hunger Games, Long that chick lit has cooled, and says. Another series will release next year. Moore at Harvest House adds We think this is the perfect time to that she is currently cautious begin getting back into the category, about acquiring womens Long says. Fantasy is a timeless genre contemporary, contemporary readers will always love it. romance, speculative, biblical, Boys points to FaithWords first title and mens fiction. Harrison at Dave Long
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H a r v e s t H o u s e s a y s w o m e n s contemporary fiction also has slowed for them, but Stob at Tyndale says the contemporary fiction category is popular and gaining strength. She adds, Books with a strong sense of place, like Southern fiction, tend to do well. Richards at Abingdon notes that readers are looking for different themes. Were seeing less interest in womens fiction that centers on a woman recovering from a tragedy, especially if she does so by going home. Instead, she says, readers of womens fiction seem to be looking for that everyday struggle that leads a character to making a remarkable or life-changing decision and facing the consequences of that decision. Other trends on the wane: Harrison says shorter trade fiction seems to be going away and readers want longer novels, 100,000 words or more. Long observes that general suspense seems to have cooled off, and McConnell says, Books that showcase evil, the ones with serial killers, for instance, that have a last-minute redemptive message readers have said no thank you to that kind of book. Stob adds that some of the successful genres in the general market, such as chick lit and vampire novels, struggle to resonate with our core market. Trends come and go. But I think the stories, at heart, are changeless, says Long. Faith, family, courage, hope, lovethese are the themes that have filled inspirational novels since Janette Okes Love Comes Softly [1979]. They dont traffic in cynicism or irony or ennui or the other pervasive afflictions of modern literature. They havent embraced the antihero. They wear their heart on their sleeve. Adds Nesbitt, We never grow tired of reading about forgiveness, redemption, second chances, or unconditional love. While plots or settings might suffer from overexposure, finding truth in a story, something that strikes a chord in us, never grows old.

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Authors and publishers partner to make it work

Building Buzz with Social Media

By Ann Byle

hese days it doesnt take long to change the face of marketing. According to Tom Dean, senior marketing director in the trade book division at Zondervan, The game has changed dramatically in the past 18 to 24 months. That change comes thanks to the power of social spaces that allow authors to interact with thousands of readers quickly and easily. Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and new avenues such as Pinterest put authors in direct contact with both established and potential fan bases. Our practices have changed tremendously across the board given the advances in social media weve seen in the past couple of years, says Tamara Crabtree, executive director of marketing for Abingdon Press. We now look at a social media strategy for every publishing division and every author. With social media having been around a while, Christian publishers are becoming more adept at using these social spaces themselves and encourage their authors to do the same. Some publishers, such as Zondervan, train their authors in using social media, as well as help those authors create content for the social media spaces. Others, like Thomas Nelson, Baker Publishing Group, and Tyndale House, strongly encourage authors to blog, get on Facebook and Twitter, and use their networks to talk about their books. While its not by any means a requirement, a Facebook page and Twitter feed can be a good way for our authors to connect with readers, so we encourage them to get as plugged in with social

At Abingdon, We work with our authors to develop a social media strategy that makes sense for each individual and the launch of their books, says Crabtree. This could include a combination of personal blogging, Facebook, Twitter, book trailers, videos, and a robust Web site with book and marketing information. Publishers land somewhere between setting general social Tamara Crabtree: media strategies and having Our practices have changed tremendously s t r i c t s o c i a l m e d i a with advances in social requirements. Zondervans strategies, whether for media. individual authors or the media as they feel company as a whole, are always authorcomfortable, says Anna Scianna, centric, driving consumers back to author publicist for Baker Books, an imprint of social spaces. Publishers are using Baker Publishing Group. physical books to drive readers to social Facebook has yielded results for media spaces by including Web site Zondervan and its Amish fiction by Amy addresses, Facebook and Twitter Clipston (A Life of Joy, Jan.) and Vanetta information, and QR codes that link to Chapman (A Perfect Square, Mar.). Fans of YouTube and other sites. Advertising Amish fiction can interact with authors, campaigns also point to social media in watch videos about upcoming releases, these ways. find recipes, and live the Amish world Mey has three main goals: first, to without giving up their English (noncreate social media communities and, Amish) comforts. second, to train authors to be effective All of this content can live in one with social media. We want them to be place, says Alicia Mey, Zondervan senior consistent, relevant, and offer significant marketing director focusing on fiction. content, she says, crediting both Karen If someone has collected all that content Kingsbury and Lisa Terkeurst for their for you, great, but you can also meet social marketing savvy. The third goal is others there like you. to go where the consumers are. Some are Debbie Johnson is senior advertising on Facebook, others on Twitter. I say to and promotions manager at Tyndale, authors to be true to who you are and be which builds a marketing campaign on a true out there in the different spaces. book-by-book basis, but most often For Thomas Nelson, whose products blends traditional (print, radio) and range from Bibles to curriculum, books nontraditional (online) methods. Radio to apps, each publishing team develops interviews yield online visits, while print its own specific strategies to meet its core ads drive traffic to Facebook and Twitter readers. Baker Publishing Group does the feeds. The most successful campaigns, she same, with Baker Academic/Brazos Press says, use social spaces and traditional creating the Brazos Blog last September marketing routes. and Bethany House creating a Facebook We tend to see better mileage page called Book Banter. Brazos Blog when we use both methods, she says, but the publisher is Alicia Mey: We want pushing further into the our authors to be social space. Were definitely consistent, relevant, engaging more, and were and offer content. experimenting more.
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Debbie Johnson: We are definitely engaging more and experimenting more.

authors are asked to write a Behind the Book piece, explaining the story or idea behind the book, as well as original content that explores the themes of the book or links it to current events. We host an author on our Book Banter Facebook page for a day a couple times a month, says Noelle Buss, publicist for Bethany. They can interact with fans, share stories, photos, recipes, answer questions, etc. Abingdon aims at different blogs for fiction and nonfiction as well as different Web sites. Baker Academic/Brazos Press does tours with bibliobloggers, many of whom are Ph.Ds., and has had successful tours for Daniel Kirks Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? (Baker Academic, Jan.) and A Hitchhikers Guide to Jesus (Baker Academic, 2011). NAVIGATING THE BLOGOSPHERE Blog toursinstead of the author tours of years pastare one of the newest ways to touch readers. The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, started and run by Bonnie Calhoun, has 225 member bloggers, carefully screened, who can choose to blog about the six to 12 books offered each month by publishers (or authors) who pay the CFBA fee. Calhoun says usually 40 to 60 bloggers sign up for each title, which is featured MondayWednesday or Wednesday Friday of a given week. Bloggers, who receive the book free from the publisher after agreeing to blog about it, can write their own reviews or use a standard post from a press release. Im not going to say that a blog tour increases sales, says Calhoun, whose first novel, Cooking the Books (Abingdon; reviewed in this issue), releases in April. But I can say that any blog tour I do puts that

book cover in front of a minimum of 10,000 people. Blog tours are one incremental part of a whole marketing campaign. Howard Books, says publicity director Jennifer Smith, does a lot of its blog outreach in-house. We have worked diligently over the past few years to develop a core list of bloggers and Web sites and a specific blogger review program. It opens up an entire demographic of readers that traditionally may not have been reached. Launching their own blog tour and online review sites is a tactic now used by many publishers eager to tap into a readymade audience. Thomas Nelson created BookSneeze, a blogger-specific book review program featuring new Thomas Nelson and WestBow Press titles. It has 22,000 active members. Revell, an imprint of Baker Publishing Group, created the Blog Tour Network, in which the company invites bloggers, based on topics they express interest in, to review books and post within a time frame. Revell offers interviews, q&as, and other material for bloggers to post. The result is that we have happier authors who feel like more people are engaged with the book, and it creates a richer word-of-mouth environment for sales, says Deonne Lindsey, publicity director for Baker Publishing Group. AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS WORKING TOGETHER Publishers build on platforms already established by authors or encourage them to shore up those platforms. Authors are quick to use their platforms to spread the word about their books, with publishers offering ideas and content and goalsetting strategies. Reviews and recommendations from

Bonnie Calhoun: Any blog tour I do puts that cover in front of 10,000 people.

authors contacts are important as well, says Crabtree of Abingdon, and having an active social media plan in place allows us to get this information out quickly. She says that blog tours and online reviews have been successful for the house. Says Katie Bond, fiction publicity manager for Nelson, We refer to our authors social media communities as their assets: something they own and will always take with them. So it behooves the authors to be developing these networks. Key is helping authors chose where they are more comfortable. Some of the biggest frustrations authors express are regarding how to best devote their limited promotional time, without taking away from writing and life. But when theyre told its okay to pick just one or two, the pressure falls away, says Bond. Zondervan is quick to cross-promote as well as leverage an authors existing platform, using, for example, Max Lucados (Gods Story, Your Story, 2011) 335,000 Twitter followers or Anne Voskamps (One Thousand Gifts, 2011) 13,000 Twitter followers and active blog presence, or Tricia Goyers (The Memory Jar, Nov. 2012) active Facebook community, Twitter following, and Pinterest postings.. Primary, says Lindsey of Baker, is building relationships between authors and readers. Readers really crave relationships with authors. Publishers agree that social marketing is here to stay. Some believe they have reached a temporary plateau in using social spaces; others are still learning what works and what doesnt for their authors. All acknowledge that the energy of social marketing constantly requires new content to keep readers interested. For all the power of social marketing spaces, a books trajectory still moves upward as one person tells another who tells another. The difference is how and where the telling takes place. Says Howards Smith, Word of mouth is huge, but viral word of mouth is even bigger.

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Norman Burleson, Christian Supply,

Book and Bible buyer, Spartanburg, SC

With over 14 million units sold, the Father of Christian Fiction, Frank Peretti, returns with Illusionhis best work yet.

Frank Peretti is a master storyteller. His novels stay with you a lifetime, drawing you closer to God and the truth in His word.
KAREN KINGSBURY,
New York Times bestselling author

Frank Peretti kicked open the doors that all of us Christian novelists are passing through today. We owe him a huge debt.
author, The Left Behind Series

JERRY B. JENKINS,

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Whirls the reader up and never lets go.
Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author, The Deep End of the Ocean, and Second Nature: A Love Story

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The Second Messiah Glenn Meade 9781451669442 May

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Author of To Die For, a 2011 Library Journal Best Books Pick

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An Uncommon Grace Serena B. Miller 9781451660302 April

Five Miles South of Peculiar Angela Hunt 9781439182048 June

Hidden in Dreams Davis Bunn 9781416556725 July

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Religion Update

Feature

In Digital Christian
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald

Fiction, Pluses and Perils

s publishers find their way through the digital wilderness, one sector is leading the rest toward a land where revenue from e-books might someday flow like milk and honey: Christian fiction. From Q4 2010 through Q3 2011, e-books accounted for 30% of all Christian fiction titles sold, according to Bowker Market Research. That marks a six-fold increase from the previous year and dwarfs results from all other segments. The nearest competitor for digital penetration was general fiction, with 17% of titles sold as e-books. Among all books, 12% sold as e-books. FIRST THE GOOD NEWS It was only in the past year that Christian fiction broke away from the pack. In the previous year, the genres e-book sales represented just 5% of units sold; for general fiction, it was 4%. This tremendous one-year increase for Christian fiction e-books has silenced speculation that religious readers would behave like everyone else in terms of digital migration. In fact, theyve been early adopters on a massive scale. We can only deduce that the average price paid for Christian fiction e-books is less than the average price paid for other books, says Bowker senior account manager David Campbell. This could be due to a larger number of free books being acquired in the category and/or greater price discounting or lower unit prices in the category. The format accounts for only 11% of Christian fiction revenue, even though almost one in every three sales is an e-book. Thus with 89% of revenue coming from a diminishing format (print), publishers of Christian fiction are

blazing new trails where they hope e-booksor e for shortwill go handin-hand with profitability. The e has now come to a point beyond thats nice, its extra income, says Alan Huizenga, director of digital publishing at Tyndale. Now were starting to budget for it. Its become an integral part of revenue projections. Last year saw a blitz of promotions, from downloads offering bundled deals to backlist giveaways for buyers of new titles. Results have at times been dramatic. For example: in October 2010, Gina Holmess Crossing Oceans sold just 16 e-books. In November 2010, Tyndale offered it free for two weeks, and readers snapped up 80,000 free copies. By December 2010, Tyndale sold 10,000 e-book copiesnot a bad increase from two months earlier. But promotions only partially explain why Christian fiction has captured more e-readers than other genres. One theory holds that e-books are the only moneysaving avenue for Christian fiction readers, who tear through new books and would like to spend less than $14.99 for a trade paperback. Readers of general fiction will find mass market versions in stores for $7.99, but Christian fiction isnt sold that way. For these readers, e-books mark the lowest-cost option to readers seeking new titles, according to Don Gates, v-p of marketing at Zondervan. And with prices on reading devices falling as low as $79 for a Kindle last year, more can afford to make the

upfront investment. Mix in the fact that Christian fiction is a niche that doesnt get much shelf space from general-interest retailers, and it becomes clear why readers are going online, where e-book offerings are vast. The challenge for publishers is to make sure the migration to e-books doesnt come at the expense of profit margins. THEN THE NOT AS GOOD Publishers arent happy with everything the new numbers tell them. Baker, with its Revell and Bethany fiction imprints, has seen total fiction unit sales drop an unsettling 5%10%, while e-book sales have grown to 30% of its fiction units sold, according to David Lewis, executive v-p of sales and marketing at Baker. Certain genres have been hit harder than others, notably historical fiction. In United Statesbased historical fiction, we used to sell a lot of units and make a lot of money in the big box accounts such as Wal-Mart and Target, Lewis says. But the historical seems to have lost readership. I dont know where those buyers have gone, but theyre not buying as many digital books and theyre not buying as many print books. Others have been relieved to keep overall fiction sales steady. Thats critically important for the likes of Tyndale, which collects the same amount per book whether it sells in print or e-book form. Still, Tyndale also is watching numbers carefully. Digital offerings in childrens fiction havent drawn much interest, Huizenga says. To make up for reductions in print sales, publishers are taking advantage of new opportunities that come with e-books. Baker and Zondervan are bringing back out-of-print books that still appeal to readers but didnt justify ongoing print runs. Because they own

Alan Huizenga: E-books have become an integral part of revenue projections.

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Religion Update

the rights, the titles can be reintroduced at a nominal expense, priced cheaply (circa $4.99 from Zondervan) and generate revenue that would have never materialized in a print-only marketplace. Baker aims to restore its fiction sales volume by capitalizing further on the voracious demand its seen for Christian romance. Books in this category consistently sell briskly, Lewis says, and rapid growth in Christian romance e-book sales hasnt cooled readers desire f o r p r i n t v e r s i o n s . To s e i z e t h e opportunities in both e-books and print, Baker is expanding its stable of Christian romance writers. MAKING COURSE CORRECTIONS E-book giveaways still happen, much to the delight of Christian fiction devotees, but theyre not as lavish as in the earliest days of e-books. Publishers are more selective about distributing freebies in an environment where e-book reading has exploded. The marketplace is still rife with experimentation. Thomas Nelson increasingly ties giveaways to specific promotions that involve a purchase. Special deals from B&H Fiction only sometimes involve giveaways; deep discounts are also common, especially at big reading times of year. Tyndale went from offering monthlong giveaways in 2010 to weeklong giveaways in 2011. Abingdon gives e-books away now and then, but a staple promotion gives an Abingdon e-book buyer access to a free chapter from another title in the same series. We believe this is a great opportunity to introduce new readers to a new author, or to whet their appetite for coming attractions, says Tamara Crabtree, executive director of marketing at Abingdon. Revenue also comes increasingly from introductory pricing on new e-books. Thomas Nelson has decided low-cost pricing is more effective than zero-cost. Free e-books really dont have the effect of dramatic readership growth,

David Lewis: E-books havent diminished the brisk sales of printed versions.

even when thousands of copies are downloaded, says Allen Arnold, senior v-p and publisher at Thomas Nelson Fiction. Thats because free requires no commitment from the reader, and these titles, while downloaded, may never be read or a priority. Charging at least a minimal amount helps increase the odds that the reader is more interested in the content. Repackaging and selling content that had previously gone unsold isnt the only ticket to boosting revenue, but its so far the most reliable one. So-called enhanced e-books, which sell for a few dollars more than ordinary e-books, try to create extra value for readers by supplementing text with video, audio, interactive images of a particular locationyou name it. But generating lots of additional, highquality content adds to the costs. Our enhanced e-books, which have the video within the books, are not going to start selling until an Apple or an Amazon invests to let the market know that this exists, Zondervans Gates says. While enhanced e-books are bringing some sexy sizzle to the world of religion publishing, the more exciting developments for increasing immediate profits come from the decidedly unsexy cost side of the ledger. E-books eliminate the need for wide swaths of overhead expenses, from materials to printing costs. Christian fiction publishers are nearing a critical mass in terms of demand for e-books. Some might soon trim initial print runs and take the savings to the bank. Theyre also squeezing expenses out of e-book production. Tyndale has brought e-book development entirely in-house. Others in the industry tend to outsource much or all of the technical work, Huizenga says. The returns on Tyndales up-front investment are already being

realized, he adds, as the company gets to keep a larger share of every e-book it sells. In what might be the trend with the most far-reaching implications for the industry, Christian fiction publishers have started releasing select titles as e-books only. They dont come out in print, at least at first, and they might never exist as bound volumes. Thomas Nelson Fiction in December published Diann Hunts Bittersweet Surrender as its first e-only book. The company has no plans yet to release the book in print. Digital-only is the first step beyond the caveman stage of just taking whats in print and putting it on an e-reader, says Mark Kuyper, executive director of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He notes that with e-only releases, a publisher can effectively test a books appeal and decide whether sales warrant a print run. Even as publishers try to keep their bean counters happy, theyre closely monitoring how technology is opening up new possibilities. Apples January launch of iBooks 2, which reportedly sold 350,000 textbooks in its first three days, will soon lead to textbooks that can facilitate interaction and online collaboration among readers. Publishers of Christian fiction will be watching this trend with interest, Kuyper says, to see if similar technology principles can help fiction readers interact more easily with one another. As Christian fiction publishers wade into the digital deep water, theyre discovering patterns with potential industrywide implications. So far, consumers embrace e-books not for their bells and whistles but for the low price points that leave extra dollars in their wallets. If publishers also begin to reap the savings bonanza, they might reach the promised land after all.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 13

Religion Update

Profiles

IN

Profile
vigilantism, and throughout the centuries kill those they deem sinners in a quest to earn their way back to grace. Its up to a present-day protagonist to stop them. Liparulo admits his decision to embrace faith-based themes more overtly in his writing wasnt an easy one at first. I felt like I was getting into an area of my life that was private. This book opened the door and knocked down the wall between my spiritual side and my writing. Once I got over that, it felt good. When asked what the recurrent themes are in The 13th Tribe Liparulo says, One is that you cant earn your way into Heaven. That is a gift you accept or not. Two is that anything done in secret can be twisted. Like any good thriller writer he wants his audience to be entertained, and with this book he also hopes readers learn that God is present and active in our lives, that he is there and a force for good. Karen Jones Amish romances, and garnered Fisher two Christy Award nominations. Her newest Amish romance, The Keeper (Revell, Jan.), is the first of the three-part Stoney Ridge Seasons series, which also will include The Haven (Aug.) and The Lesson (Jan. 2013). Fishers interest in the Anabaptist faithsAmish, Mennonite, and Quakeris an offshoot of her family tree. Her mothers ancestors were Old Order German Baptist Brethren, and she has many family members and friends in the Anabaptist community in and around Franklin County, Pa., where she frequently travels for research. But her interest runs deeper than a family connection. There is something about the faith-based community that calls me, she tells PW from her home in Alamo, Calif. They are trying hard to live a life that is pleasing to God, and in 400 years they have not wavered in holding fast to their values. Fisher again turns to Amish culture for several more books, all for Revell and slated to appear in 2013 and beyond, including a follow-up to last Septembers A Lancaster County Christmas, which made the CBA bestsellers list in January, and Keeping the Peace, a nonfiction book examining the Amish qualities of forgiveness and conflict resolution. Their forgiveness is a remarkable model to all of us, Fisher says. They live it. The [response to the] Nickel Mines [murders] wasnt a showthat was a lifetime of training for turning the other cheek and trusting in God for all lifes circumstances. Also in the works is a new series, Petticoat Row, about Quaker women in whaling-era Nantucket. And lest the Amish feel slighted by her time among the Quakers, shes planning another Amish series for 2014, about an Amishrun bed and breakfast and the English

Robert Liparulo

Knocking Down a Wall

Robert Liparulo had little choice when he sat down to write his first thriller Stephen King and Tom Clancy were waiting. A former journalist, Liparulo interviewed both and told them of his passion to one day write novels. To his surprise they actively encouraged him. Both would call periodically and ask Have you started? says Liparulo. I eventually began writing Comes a Horseman [Thomas Nelson, 2005] so when they called next I could say I did! Three more novels and a young adult series followed; all were general fiction. The 13th Tribe (Thomas Nelson, Mar.) is the first Christian fiction novel for Liparulo, who resists the label but knows its inevitable in publishing. I still feel like a thriller writer. Its the subgenre that is shifting. Instead of a high-tech thriller, its a Christian thriller. The challenge, says Liparulo, was to write a book that he would want to read himself. Anything faith-based would have to be organic to the story, not preachy, he says, citing Raiders of the Lost Ark as a perfect example. If the power of the Ark was taken out of the story you wouldnt have one. With vigilantism at its core, The 13th Tribe begins with Moses and the Golden Calf. One tribe of idol-worshipping Israelitesthe 13this not forgiven by God for their sins. Their punishment is immortality with no hope of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. They resort to

Suzanne Wood Fisher

Inspired by the Amish

We get distracted by the buggies and the beards and bonnets, but there is so much more to these people, says Fisher. They are trying to live a life that puts the brakes on ostentation, on consumption, on individual rights over the rights or the interest of the community. They are endlessly fascinating to me. That fascination has yielded three Amish-inspired nonfiction titles and five

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Religion Update
he calls a zillion different directions. His newest novel, Illusion (Howard Books, Mar.), is no exception. The bestselling author (This Present Darkness; The Oath) takes readers in myriad directions thanks to the illusions of magic and his many spiritual allusions. Mandy and Dane Collins have been married 40 years when Mandy is killed in a car crash. While Dane mourns, Mandy returns as 19-year-old Eloise, thinking its 1970. Their lives collide, and the two jump-start the young womans magic career, even as Dane believes hes crazy thinking shes the Mandy of 40 years ago, while she thinks shes crazy in a world she doesnt understand. Time travel, magic, love, and the abuse of power all find a home here. Peretti, who lives in Idaho, spent two years researching, planning, and writing Illusion, his 19th novel. Im just a slow writer. Im picky and careful and fastidious, he says. While working on promoting Illusion, hes gearing up to start another book, eager, he says, to begin listening to the Lords saying. I dont know what idea is going to hit me when. Illusion is rife with underlying themes and symbols as Mandy, step by step, regains the memory of who she truly is. There is the gentle presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a magicians doves, the lure of evil made manifest in the city of Las Vegas, and mans obsession with power illustrated by scientists who stop at nothing to accomplish their plans. The book is going to be enjoyable at several levels, says Peretti. There is good stuff for those who like to probe into a story, and it will appeal to those who want to be entertained. I wanted to write a novel where the meaning is in the story and characters and the subliminal, in the shades and nuances. Its exciting to develop that as a writer. Perettis research included learning a few magic trickshe doesnt admit to succeedingas well as studying how time travel might occur. I did enough research to create a nice, scientific-sounding fantasy. But its mostly made up. Theres a
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 15

(non-Amish) who stay there. This summer Fisher branches out with a childrens series, the Adventures of Lily Lapp, for ages 812. The staying power of books about the Amish, Fisher says, stems from multiple factors. Readers are seeking escape from the rapid pace of technology and to the balm of rural settings. A secure and changeless way of life has strong appeal in times of economic uncertainty. The ground beneath your feet is solid in these books, she says. Kimberly Winston

Anne Elisabeth Stengl

The Power of Story

Its no surprise Anne Elisabeth Stengl became a writer. She grew up listening to the stories of her fighter pilot father and scribbling on the back of historical romances. Her father made up fairy tales for fun; her mother, Jill Stengl, has published 16 books with a focus on historical romance fiction. I even colored pictures on the back of some of her manuscripts, Stengl says. It wasnt until I got older that I realized that writing was a difficult field to go into. After a childhood moving around a lot as a military brat, Stengl settled in North Carolina. She majored in English at Campbell University, then studied illustration at Grace College. After graduating, she taught art classes and painted family portraits. Stengl now lives with her husband in Raleigh with four cats (she calls them a passel) and her first rescue doga Christmas present from her husband. While she was blogging about the lack of chivalry in American culture writing about knights, princesses, and

dragonsshe stumbled upon the idea for her debut novel, Heartless (Bethany House, 2010), a fantasy that revolves around a dragon king seeking his princess. The blog, which bemoaned a world of fewer brave men used to defeating dragons to win their princesses, led her to write a short story, which she also posted. The response encouraged her to finish writing the book, which garnered a Christy Award for First Novel. That kicked off the Tales of Goldstone Wood series; the second book, Veiled Rose (Bethany House), was published in July 2011; the third, Moonblood, releases in April. The fairy tale/fantasy genre turned out to be the best fit for her writing, though it wasnt something she considered a viable career. It was always the genre I picked to read just for the pleasure of it, Stengl says. But when she began writing, she found that some of her favorite writers, like George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine LEngle, lit her passion for conveying a universal truth through stories that reflected her Christian values. Spinning fairy tales helps Stengl avoid a preachy aspect that can easily start creeping into Christian fiction, she says. Truth, the depravity of humankind, and the possibility of forgiveness are topics Stengl likes to delve into in her work. Through story, she says, you can make readers see what you believe in a whole new way, so it becomes exciting. J. Victoria Sanders

Frank Peretti

Timeless Love
Frank Peretti starts his novels with a germ of an idea, letting the book fall together from what

Religion Update
little bit of truth and a whole lot of fantasy. He didnt make up the love, though. Dane and Mandys 40-year marriage mirrors that of Peretti and his wife. That love, he says, is a picture of Christs love for the church and Gods love for his children. Illusion is a story of Gods love and our hunger to find him when were separated from him. If I can paint a picture of two people still in love after 40 years, thats a pretty good message. Ann Byle

| Profiles

Tom Pawlik

Scaring the Children

Some authors have written bedtime stories for their children, but Tom Pawliks tales might keep his five kids awake and afraidvery afraid. His new book, Beckon (Tyndale House, Apr.), shifts gears from his previous titles, introducing a new setting and three characters whose lives converge in a small town in Wyoming, where something creepy this way comes. Pawliks first book, Vanish, won the Operation First Novel Contest, sponsored by the Christian Writers Guild and Tyndale, and it went on to win a Christy Award in the Visionary category. The sequel, Valley of Shadows, was released in 2009. Though Beckon is not a sequel, Pawlik says its connected to the other books and will connect to future books, creating a sort of scavenger hunt for his fans. Id like to write a novel about an eccentric novelist whos hidden a treasure map of clues, linking back to all the novels, he says. Tyndale is betting on Pawlik to play well with fans of authors like Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. Peretti focuses

on the supernatural and visualizing the unseen spiritual world, and Dekker does serial killers and serial novels, but Pawlik leans more toward the speculative science fiction thriller genre, an uncrowded field in the Christian market. Pawlik has agreed to write a novella in a multiauthor project called 7 Hours, a concept created by James Andrew Wilson to be published as e-booksonly by Tyndale in May. Seven authors will each write a 25,000-word novella about one character, Thomas Constant, with the same premise but from seven different perspectives. Each novella covers a seven-hour period during the story, not necessarily in order; Pawliks is titled Recollection. By night Pawlik writes while his children sleep; by day he is a project manager for hospital labs. Could there be a sci-fi biotech story on the horizon? He says he keeps up with the latest in biotech research, so maybe Pawliks next story idea will bubble up out of a test tube. Greg Taylor

Jane Myers Perrine

Welcome to Butternut Creek

Jane Myers Perrines new series, Tales from Butternut Creek, is a departure from the stand-alone romance novels Perrine has written. There is romance in it, but the series centers on a small town in central Texas, and the main character is a minister who has come to a small church, says Perrine. Hes all this little church can afford, and a group of women called the Widowswho de facto run the churchset about working on the young minister with two prime directives: to train him and marry

him off. The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek (FaithWords, Apr.) is the first of the series. The second book is planned for fall 2012 and the third for 2013. The Widows think the young minister should be fruitful and multiply and fill up the parsonage, but it turns out hes not very good with women. With a three-book contract, its handy the minister starts out single, leaving plenty of room for him to grow as a character, get married, and have a family by the end of the series. There is no real Butternut, Tex., but the idealized town is a composite of places Perrine has lived. My husband has served in pastorates in many small towns, she says, and all those experiences shape what I write. Funny things happened in those churches, like the time the donkey ran away with a child on Palm Sunday. In real life the donkey went about five feet, but in the book the donkey and child go all the way down Main Street. While the town is idealized, the characters are flawed and will grow across the series, Perrine says. The Widows become a bit softer, the minister learns to stand up for himself, and he even takes in two homeless children. And though he was awkward with women, he learns how to build a relationship with the woman hes going to marry. Still, it turns out the minister is not the romantic focus of the first book. While the Widows continue to work on him, they turn their attention to a more promising budding romance between a reforming alcoholic Marine amputee who is back from the war in Afghanistan and the soldiers physical therapist. Theres more edginess to this new series than meets the eye or matches the Americana cover of the first book, Perrine says; readers will find a gentle, humorous book, but not a sweet narrowly focused romance. The Marine amputee coming back from war isnt sweet, but gruff and rattled. Perrine says that while the series is about a community and a church, it is

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Religion Update
Beyond Words (Zondervan, Mar.) three years ago. The story, set in the late 1930s and 1940s, focuses on Alcyone Allie Everly, who is sent to live in Maine after her mother dies from cancer. Coker lost her uncle to a brain tumor, and she says the story came from her conversations with God about why people die. What I realized is that death is something that young people face, Coker tells PW from Virginia, where she lives with her parents and two sisters. I realized it could make us bitter, but it could also make us stronger. Even though that bad thing happens, [Allie] can learn to love again. The publication of her book when she was just 15 also inspired an international peer group of young writers who comment on her personal blog and on what she writes as a guest blogger for sites like Go Teen Writers. I think the most frequent comment I hear from e-mails or in comments on my blog is, I didnt know this was possible. I always thought some day in the future, one day when I was older, I would be a writer. Now that I know its possible, theres a chance for me, too, Coker says. Thats my favorite thing to hear. She didnt think she would get published as a teenager, either. I thought it was silly and insane when I sent out my query letter. I prayed, God, I know this is probably impossible, but Im going to try anyway. Now that its all finished, knowing that other people are willing to go out there and take a chance is good for me. Coker has already written her next book, a novel set in the 1960s, which will also be published by Zondervan. She is nevertheless looking forward to what could be a successful writing career. Meanwhile, she also teaches piano. Im really open to whatever God has in store for me, she says. Im 16 years old, I dont have the answers, I dont know whats going to happen. But I want to be happy and I want to bless other people. I want to not just make a living but also to live a God-filled, hope-filled life. J. Victoria Sanders
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 17

written for a wider audience than evangelical Christians. Theres not a particularly evangelical message, no Damascus road experience, no dogma. Ive tried to make this for a general audience, not for people who practice a particular belief. Greg Taylor

Kathy Tyers

Builder of Worlds
In Daystar (Marcher Lord, Apr.), Christian speculative fiction author Kathy Tyers wraps up the story of a character she created when she was only seven years old. But she didnt commit the story of outcast Lady Firebird Angelo to paperon an electric typewriter perched on her kitchen tableuntil she was 29 and home with a baby. This series has been part of my life for many years, Tyers says. I have tried other world-building stories, but these characters kept coming back to me, and I wanted to finish their story well. Firebird, the first installment of the Firebird series, was originally published by Bantam Spectra in 1987, as was its follow-up, Fusion Fire (1988). The books are set in a dystopian universe that resulted when the Virgin Mary said no to the Angel Gabriel. In 1999 and 2000, Tyers revised the first two books for Bethany House to emphasize their spiritual themes. The third book in the series, Crown of Fire, was published by Bethany in 2000. Then, as Tyers dealt with family problems, she took a 10-year break from Lady Firebird. The fourth book, Wind and Shadow, was published last October by Marcher Lord, a self-described micropress that emphasizes Christian speculative fiction. Tyers wrote it as her masters

project for Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. In Daystar, the messiah finally appears. Ending so long and sweeping a tale has been a challenge, Tyers says. I wanted to satisfy the readers who have followed the characters from book one, and I wanted to write a story that stands alone. But I also wanted to bring in the greater truth of the story all of humanity revolves around. If I can juggle all those balls, I will feel like I have done a pretty good job. Marcher Lord Press founder Jeff Gerke calls Tyers and the Firebird series trailblazers. He notes, For many of us, they were the first wed ever heard of Christian science fiction. [Christian fiction] had many novelists who were females, but then, as now, most of them were writing prairie romances and the like. She paved the way for other female writers of Christian speculative fiction. She feels just very peaceful about wrapping up Firebird, Tyers says. And she is at work on another series, this one set closer to home, in an alternative Bozeman, Mont. I am starting from zero with the process of creating characters and worldbuilding, she says. It is a little more daunting than it was when I was 30, but I am game. Kimberly Winston

Rachel Coker

Teen Author
The loss of a loved one is difficult to cope with at any age, but at 13, Rachel Coker channeled her grief and landed a publisher at the same time. Coker, now a homeschooled 11thgrader, started writing Interrupted: Life

Religion Update

Reviews

Books in

Brief
Legacy Road
Graham Garrison. Kregel, $14.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-0-8254-2671-1

ournalist Wes Watkins is on a roll. His career is taking off, hes going back to school, and hes about to propose to the love of his life, Emmy Stewart. When his stagey proposal flops, Wess world tilts. Emmy, a National Guard medic, is about to be deployed to Afghanistan. Wess mentor, Paul Gavin, persuades Wes to involve his estranged father, Ron, in a class Wes is taking on the Civil War; Ron, who had abandoned his family in favor of alcohol, has Civil Warera letters from a family ancestor. Wes naturally distrusts his father; Emmy has a secret in her past. When Wes finally reads a cache of letters Ron sent him as the younger man was growing up, other secrets emerge. Garrison (Heros Tribute) writes in the venerable tradition of Southern fiction, in which the ghosts of the past always play a role. The subtlety and pacing of the characters development is convincing. You dont have to write about the Amish to edify; this is a breath of fresh air. Agent: Terry Burns, Hartline Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Yoder, a 13-year-old boy with a complicated history, breaking into a grocery store, which leads her to his family, including handsome uncle Jonathan. Ashleys personal life, meanwhile, grows complex when a local matchmaker connects her with Patrick James, a counselor who can help Bradley. As the characters make personal discoveries, Montezuma faces the question of redevelopment, a prospect that threatens the Mennonite community. The story has a lot going on and could have used some Mennonite simplicity to concentrate its emotional impact. The romantic triangle keeps the reader turning pages, but the villain is a stretch to believe. (Apr.)

trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-59554-887-0

Cooking the Books

Bonnie S. Calhoun. Abingdon, $14.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-1-4267-3388-8

Hiding in Plain Sight

Amy Wallace. Harvest House, $13.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-7369-4731-2

allace offers a serviceable opener to her Place of Refuge series with this tale of a young police officer who must reckon with her painful past. Ashley Walters has fled Atlanta for the small town of Montezuma, Ga., which has a thriving Mennonite community. She crosses paths with Mennonites when she catches Bradley

loane Templeton inherits a Brooklyn bookstore after her mother dies, a bookstore thats in the sights of a realty company that would love to add the land to a development project. Sloanes urbane psychiatrist boyfriend is an improvement over her ex, a gangbanger type. Her aunt Verlene is a cooking show run amok. Not long after Sloane refuses the offer to sell the store, bad things start happening on her stores computers, and she must deal with a rare book worth a million dollars. A lot of ingredients get thrown into Calhouns plot pot. Her mashup of comedy, urban fiction, romance, and suspense doesnt hang together, and some of the comedy is juvenile (boogers, anyone?). On the plus side, Sloane Templeton is a fierce, sometimes funny voice. Harder editing would better channel it. Agent: Terry Burns. (Apr.)

iseman (Daughters of the Promise series) leaves the Amish category that she does successfully in this well-plotted but middling contemporary set in Texas. Darlene and Brad Henderson and their three children are new arrivals in the small town of Round Top, Tex., where they have fled to an old family farm seeking a psychologically better environment for the teens and preteen. Darlene feels isolated and takes her first job outside the home, working with special-needs children. The job causes Brad to wonder if Darlene is neglecting the family, especially when a crisis occurs with one of the children. Wiseman has written an edgy Christian novel: one of the characters gets drunk, and a powerful extramarital temptation drives action. Other premises are safe ones: some women readers will find Brads disapproving attitude toward Darlenes job either quaint or offensive. Wiseman ambitiously tackles major contemporary issues, but her characters are a little too stereotypical to satisfy. Agent: Mary Sue Seymour. (Apr.)

Paradise Misplaced
Sylvia Montgomery Shaw. Swedenborg Foundation (Chicago Distribution Center, dist.), $15.95 trade paper (304p) ISBN
978-0-87785-341-1

Need You Now

Beth Wiseman. Thomas Nelson, $15.99

haw has a killer of an opener: The plan was simple and well-intentioned. So, too, was the murder. And thereby hangs an ambitious, three-part tale, set during the Mexican revolution of 1910 and centered on the Nyman family, headed by the domineering Gen. Lucio Nyman Berquist, a Swede whose marriage to the Mexican Manuela Vizcarra has produced three sons, a daughter, fabulous wealth, and strife. The narrative has two major pieces; one describes the immediate aftermath of the opening killing. The second is a flashback, a memoir penned in prison. Memoir writer Benjamin Nyman Vizcarra, one of the generals sons, describes the events that

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Reviews |

Religion Update
ented concert violinist whos also very good at fiddling. But fiddling doesnt fit into the plans of her musician boyfriend, her violinist father, or her agent. When a severe thunderstorm strands her in the rural mountains of Pennsylvania, she takes refuge at a cabin inhabited by Michael Hostetler, a young fence-sitting Amish man who cant decide whether to take the formal vows to join the Amish community. Her chance connection with Michael allows Amelia an opening into his community, while Michael finds himself increasingly attracted to the outsider. Lewiss presentation of Amish life portrays the advantages and disadvantages of a community with definite rules and a solidarity that can be both enviable and constraining. The

have led him to prison, including his wild love for Isabel, a woman he thinks has betrayed him. The flamboyant story is equally colored by magical realism (El Brujo, a wizard-like Tarahumara Indian character who runs unceasingly in the prison yard) and Swedenborgianism (heroine Isabel is a Swedenborgian). But the reader need not be familiar with Swedenborg to understand and delight in the narrative arc. (Apr.)

The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club

Wanda E. Brunstetter. Barbour, $14.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-60260-811-5
opular Amish specialist Brunstetter (Kentucky Brothers series) offers a twist on Amish: a group of English (i.e., non-Amish) people take a quilting class from Amish widow Emma Yoder. The students all have problems in their lives that K121000013PWK121000013QK001.qxp:Layout 2 they inevitably bring to the class, which quickly functions as a support group as

theysometimes reluctantlyhear one another out. They are unsubtly diverse: a black preachers wife, a Hispanic widower who is a single dad, a biker working off a DUI, a goth young adult, a bickering suburban couple. Brunstetters fans will likely ignore the shortcomings of the novel (clunky dialogue like Do you see that colorful Amish quilt hanging on the line in the yard across the road?) and have some fun as their favorite character resolves his or her crisis with a stitch in time. (Apr.)

The Fiddler
Beverly Lewis. Bethany House, $19.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-7642-0987-1
1/31/12 10:58 AMfinds herself living melia Devries Page 1

an artistic double life: shes a tal-

Where faith encounters life

Available February 2012

978-1-4267-2248-6 Hardcover, $19.95

978-1-4267-4189-0 Hardcover, $21.99

978-1-4267-4134-0 Hardcover, $18.95

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AbingdonPress.com 800.251.3320

Religion Update
musical motifs offer welcome variation on very familiar Amish themes that Lewis renders in virtuoso style. This opens the Home to Hickory Hollow series, but stands alone nicely. (Apr.)

| Reviews

Illusion
Frank Peretti. Howard, $26.99 (512p)
ISBN 978-1-4391-9267-2

ome novelists resist allegory, but Peretti (Monster) embraces it. When Mandy dies in a car accident, Dane, her husband of 40 years and illusionist partner, must carry on without her. But is he really without her? Mandy awakens from the accident in the present, but as a 19-yearold who thinks its 1970. The two soon meet as Mandy is experimenting with some new magical powers and trying to figure out just who is

behind this grand illusion. Though she calls herself Eloise, she resembles the Mandy whom Dane met 40 years before, and its making him crazy. Meanwhile Mandy wonders if she is certifiably crazy herself, but she is soon confronted by dark figures who know why she came back and what could become of her. Peretti captures the irony of how two magicians get caught in a greater illusion than theyve ever created themselves. (Mar. 6)

Abby Finds Her Calling

Naomi King. New American Library, $15 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-451-23573-2

he Amish also live in Missouri, jah, where King (Summer of Secrets) sets her new series, Home at Cedar Creek. A wedding is called off when bride Suzanna Lambright goes missing, and her older sister Abby must deliver the bad news to bridegroom James Graber, whom Abby secretly loves. When Zanna returns and discloses why she left, her family and the rest of the

community must decide how to live with her and what she has done. The plot is Amish-simple. What distinguishes this from many other Amish romances is how it shows that forbearance and forgiveness take a good deal of work, and the Amish, like everybody else, gossip, bicker, and sometimes have less-than-ideal family lives. While some developments strain credulity, King has created enough open-ended characters to entice the reader back to Cedar Creek for more. Agent: Evan Marshall. (Mar.)

Sarai
Jill Eileen Smith. Revell, $14.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-8007-3429-9

6.0 0

AUthor of thE intErnAtionAl blockbUStEr Kosher sex

New Release from Gefen Publishing House

Written with Shmuleys usual candor, humor and accessibility,Kosher Jesus is sure to change and open minds. What more can you ask of a book
Alan Dershowitz, author of Trials of Zion

JE JESUS

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rabbi shmuley boteach

Boteach writes with clarity, force, and intelligence, and his Kosher Jesus is an excellent resource for parish libraries, Jewish worship communities, individual seekers, and all interested in the historical Jesus.
Library Journal

This book is a mustread for anyone willing to venture slightly out of their comfort zone in their journey toward real understanding and peace.

Glenn Beck, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of GBTV.com

6 Hatzvi St., Jerusalem, Israel 94386 Tel: 02-538-0247 Fax: 02-538-8423 Also 11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081 Tel: 1-516-593-1234 Fax: 1-516-295-2739 available Publishing and distributing quality books since 1981 as an Facebook.com/learningaboutisrael e-book
JERUSALEM

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NEW YORK

ollowing the successful Wives of King David series, Smith opens her new Wives of the Patriarchs series with this midrashic expansion of the story of Abraham and his wife, Sarah. In the biblical account, Sarah gives birth in her old age to Isaac, as God has promised her husband, Abraham, whose descendants will be as numerous as stars. In this account, the beautiful Sarai, as she is first called, deeply loves her husband and follows him when his Lord calls, even as she waits for decades for the promised child and endures a dangerous passage to Egypt that produces a threat to her marriage in the form of her maid Hagar. Smith is at her best in handling the triangulated relationship between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar; the subplot involving Abrahams nephew Lot and his family is less emotionally compelling. The pace occasionally drags, but most of the book is about faithful waiting. Smith breathes new imaginative life into a wellknown sacred s t o r y. A g e n t : Wendy Lawton. (Mar.)

$2

20 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y F E B R U A R Y 1 3 , 2 0 1 1

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Ebook editions available for all books.

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com Available from your sales rep or call Baker Publishing Group at (800) 877-2665. For available rights information, please contact Marilyn Gordon at mgordon@bakerbooks.com. Bethany House and Revell are divisions of the Baker Publishing Group.