Spiritual Practice & Family Life: Books Are Evergreen, Ever New

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Religion Update
Press, agrees that the new pope has stirred a fresh wind among Catholics and others. In order to understand Francis, why he has become such an inspiring and very popular leader in such a short time, you have to understand something about his spirituality, Durepos says. Loyolas The Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church (Apr.) by Pope Francis draws on speeches, homilies, and papers from the first year of his papacy. Franciscan Media publishes Richard Rohrs Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of St. Francis of Assisi (Aug.) to help people see the popes model as more than just the bird bath saint, says Barbara Baker, divisional director of sales, marketing, and Internet. He was really quite radical. Also from Franciscan Media is Pope Francis and Our Call to Joy by Diane M. Houdek (July), which presents reflections, discussion questions, and suggestions for personal growth from the popes example. A related title is journalist Andrea Torniellis FiorettiThe Little Flowers of Pope Francis (Ignatius Press, Sept.), playing off the title of the 14th-century classic The Little Flowers of St. Francis and reflecting on spiritual themes from the new popes first year. Other, non-Francis spiritual formation titles from OSV slated for September are George Martins Bringing the Gospel of Matthew to Life, Susan Conroys Coming to Christ: Resting in His Love, and Cardinal Donald Wuerls Open to the Holy Spirit. From Ignatius comes Cardinal Christoph Schoenborns With Jesus Every DayHow Believing Transforms Living (Oct.).
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Books Offering Help with the Practice of Faith Are Ever New
By Andy Butcher

Religious belief and expression might be in flux, but many people still want some daily bread for the soul, spiritual food that helps them live out their faith. All this is against a backdrop of continuing disaffection from formal religion.

hristian church attendance has fallen from 43% in 2004 to 36% today, according to the March 24 Barna Group research report Americans Divided on the Importance of Church, and a lot of those who still go do so less frequently. The data shows two trends, often at crosscurrents, the report suggests. Adults are aware of their very real spiritual needs, yet they are increasingly dissatisfied with the churchs attempt to meet those spiritual needs and are turning elsewhere. Many turn to books, creating durable demand for titles on the evergreen topics that address leading a spiritual life: prayer, reflection, meditation, inspirational readings, and other spiritual practices. Evangelical publisher InterVarsity Press has its Formatio imprint, focused on spiritual formation, and Jeff Crosby, associate publisher and director of sales and marketing, sees books getting narrower and broader at the same time. Publishers are beginning to address some very niche topics in spiritual formation, he says. In The Way of Grace: Finding God on the Path of Surrender (IVP, Nov.), Anglican priest Glandion Carney writes of what he has learned through living with Parkinsons; with topics like relin-

quishment, acceptance, and submission, each chapter ends with a reflection and an application. Another example is IVPs Walking the Labyrinth (Sept.), in which Travis Scholl looks at the longtime Catholic and Anglican tradition of using a guided walk as a catalyst for prayer. Crosby points out that distinctions between Protestant and Catholic forms of spiritual formation are largely melting away, and I think thats a good thing. BULLISH ON FRANCIS Books about spiritual formation from Catholic publishers have been given a healthy shot in the arm by the election of Pope Francis. When the new pontiff quickly gathers almost four million Twitter followers and is featured on the covers of both Time and Rolling Stone magazines, theres something special going on, says Greg Erlandson, president and publisher at Our Sunday Visitor. In September, OSV releases St. Francis and Pope Francis: Prayers, Poverty, and Joy in Jesus , in which Alan Schreck explores the commonalities between the 21st-century Argentinean prelate and the medieval Italian friar from whom he took his papal name. Joe Durepos, executive editor at Loyola

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TWEAKING THE TRIED AND TRUE A classic format in spiritual practice books is the daily devotional or inspirational readings book. Among FaithWords releases in October are four major throughthe-year devotionals: Aaron Tabors Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions draws on themes from the Facebook page of the same name that, with more than 25 million fans, has been described as having the social media networks most highly engaged audience. With an eye toward ongoing fascination with the afterlife, Experiencing Heaven: True Stories, Prayers, and Promises for Every Day of the Year by Sarabeth Brownea pseudonym for a bestselling devotional authoroffers a daily Bible passage, prayer, hymn, or story. Also in October, two of FaithWords powerhouse authors present their latest collected readings. The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude comes from Joyce Meyer, while Daily Readings from Break Out! 365 Devotions to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life is based on Joel Osteens Break Out!, with new prayers from him. Also in the 365-day devotional genre is Every Day in His Presence, from pastor and Bible teacher Charles Stanley (Thomas Nelson, Nov.) and The Story Devotional (Zondervan, Sept.), the first of its kind from Zondervans The Story line, which presents the Bible in an abridged, chronological form like a novel. The high level of gift buying of devotional and inspirational books is an important consideration for many publishers. We find people will buy several copies of a devotional to share with

friends and family, says Laura Minchew, senior v-p and publisher of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift Books, Tommy Nelson Childrens Books, and New Media, citing Stanleys Every Day as a book they can position that way. Barbour Publishing has added leather-look finishes to some of its devotional titles, such as Darlene Salas You Are Chosen: Inspiration to Reassure Your Soul (July). Those nicer touches cost more, though Barbour still focuses on offering a very nice price point, says Paul Muckley, senior editor for nonfiction. Other forthcoming Barbour titles include 90 devotional readings by Janice Thompson in From Gods Word to a Womans Heart (Aug.) and 180 Prayers for a Woman of God (Sept.), a compilation by Barbour staff covering such topics as joy, contentment, difficulties, and trust. Barbour has seen a shift in the market that is reflected in these titles. We feel that sometimes the daily devotional, the 365-day ones, may be a little big for people, says Muckley. I dont know if its an issue of attention spans getting shorter, but we are doing some shorterform things. Not that Barbour has abandoned the heftier reads. The Best of Daily Wisdom for Women by Carol Lynn Fitzpatrick (May) gathers some of the best readings from the annual devotional that launched in 1997 and has since sold more than 750,000 copies. Meanwhile, Dave Earleys The 21 Most Effective Prayers Collection (May) compiles his five previous 21 titles in a 512-page volume. The shorter form is not a trend that we have observed, says Sarah Beatty, publicist at Hachette Book Group, where FaithWords has published some shorter devotionals, such as Joseph Princes 100 Days of Right Believing (Feb.). But the

365-day format is still working, Beatty says. Another classic format is the biblically weighted 40 days. In The Seed Sower: A 40-Day Journey to Sow Seed & Harvest Fruit (Shade Tree Publishing, Apr.), Tammy L. Jordan translates gardening principles and practices into cultivating personal growth and relationships. 40 Days With the Holy Spirit: A Journey to Experience His Presence in a Fresh New Way (Charisma House, June) presents daily readings and reflections from R.T. Kendalls January release, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirits Work in Our Lives. Leafwood Publishers, an imprint of ACU Press, has Faith, Hope, Love, & Deployment: 40 Devotions for Military Couples (June). Heather Gray completed the project she had begun with her husband, David, after he was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2012. THE KNOWN KNOWNS Though some may be falling away from church, many remain loyal to their favorite Bible teachers and authors, making established names like Stanley, Meyer, and Osteen a strong selling point. Another beloved writer, Brennan Manning, is soon to be published for the first time by Eerdmans. Dear Abba: Morning and Evening Prayer (Aug.), completed shortly before his death in 2013, presents a month of readings from Mannings previous works along with Scripture passages; John Blase compiled the collection. Also from Eerdmans is Shaping the Prayers of the People: The Art of Intercession (Apr.), in which Samuel Wells and Abigail Kocher present a model for congregational prayer. Donal Harringtons Weekday Prayers: Prayers for Weekday Masses and Prayer Services releases in June from Irish publisher Columba Press (Dufour, dist.); also for congregational use is an updated edition of The Veritas Book of Blessings for

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became a paraplegic after a diving accident in 1967 wrote about unanswered prayer and suffering after her visit to the site of the biblical healing pool in Jerusalem. Jen Hatmakers Interrupted (2012) is revised and given a new subtitleWhen Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianityfor August release to maximize her increased popularity and ride a projected reality television show to premiere in July. NavPress v-p and publisher Don Pape points to both books as examples of first-person narratives that are appealing to readers because they show the reader that Jesus can work, he says. So many academic books talk about Christianity and are somewhat of a religious treatise. Narratives are almost invitations for readers to see God do the

All Occasions (Veritas Publications [Dufour, dist.]; May). In September, Harvest House presents prayer guides from two megachurch pastors and bestselling authors. Tony Evans advocates Praying Through the Names of God as a way of understanding more about Gods character and nature. John MacArthur offers A Year of Prayer: Approaching God with an Open Heart Week After Week. Authors like Stanley, Meyer, Osteen, and MacArthur tend to appeal to older readers. But while some make the mistake of thinking only older people enjoy reading devotionals, says HarperCollins Christian Publishings Minchew, we have found this to not be the case. We regularly hear comments from high school and college students who are using one of our devotionals with a small group or an entire sorority. So there is always room for new voices. Sherri Gragg weaves biblical history and

fiction together in a 35-day reflection on Jesus life in Arms Wide Open: A Call to Linger in the Saviors Presence (Thomas Nelson, May). Baker Publishing Group releases In Pursuit: Devotions for the Hunter and Fisherman (Aug.), in which pastor and freelance outdoor writer Zeke Pipher presents 90 devotions that weave scriptural messages into true hunting and fishing stories. MAKING IT PERSONAL Joni Eareckson Tada, another beloved name in the Christian market, debuts with NavPressTyndale House under the two publishers new partnership with Beside Bethesda: 31 Days Toward Deeper Healing (Aug.). The well-known speaker and advocate for the handicappedshe

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Religion Update
same thing in their lives, says Pape. Pamela Clements, associate publisher at Abingdon Press, echoes those thoughts, noting that titles that work in this space need to be more than just memoir, with a blending of the descriptive and the prescriptive. Theres nothing better than a beautifully written memoir, Clements says, but there has to be some takeaway for the reader, something they can integrate into their own life. Among such Abingdon titles is Linda McCullough Moores The Book of Not So Common Prayer: A New Way to Pray, a New Way to Live (June), which recounts Moores discovery of new ways to make prayer a more meaningful part of her life; she suggests practical steps for others to do the same. For those who would find that too much of a stretch, Donna Schaper has written Prayers for People Who Say They Cant Pray (Nov.). A pastor and writer, Schaper addresses those who are disappointed or doubtful when it comes to faith, offering new ways of thinking about and approaching prayer. Other Abingdon titles exploring similar themes include The Vinedressers Notebook: Spiritual Lessons in Pruning, Waiting, Harvesting and Abundance (Apr.), in which Benedictine sister Judith Sutera draws spiritual lessons from the fields, and Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door by Barbara Mahany (Oct.). Mercy & Melons: Praying the Alphabet by Lisa Nichols Hickman (Sept.) is a collection of meditations inspired by everyday objects beginning with the letters A through Z. From Worthy Publishing comes Found: A Story of Questions, Grace & Everyday Prayer (Apr.), in which Micha Boyett recounts how a visit to a Benedictine monastery helped her discover a grace-

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filled rhythm for life that had been lost in the busyness of motherhood. An Inner Step Toward God: Writings and Teachings on Prayer by Father Alexander Men (Paraclete Press, Apr.) presents Christa Belyaevas translation of some of the works of the Russian Orthodox priest murdered in 1990. Love Letters from the Edge: Meditations for Those Struggling with Brokenness, Trauma, and the Pain of Life (Kregel, June) offers hope for those suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Christy Award winning novelist Shelly Beach ( Hallies Heart ) and Wanda Sanchez, a talk radio executive producer who has experienced PTSD herself, write for other women who have suffered abuse or abandonment. As part of an international ministry, David C. Cook brings a global perspective to its publishing. Books that are more cultural in nature, while they may be bestsellers in first world countries, dont often last as long as those books that address universal matters of faith, says Dan Rich, chief publishing officer. Enduring titles seem to be those that unpack the deep truths of Scripture, that help us understand our faith and how to live it out in real life, he says. Praying for Your Elephant: Boldly Approaching Jesus with Radical and Audacious Prayer by Adam Stadtmiller (Oct.) invites readers to create 100 gamechanging prayers, drawing from his experience in asking God for the impossible. A similar challenge to dare to ask for more is the theme of Greg Pruetts Extreme Prayer: The Impossible Prayers God Promises to Answer (Tyndale Momentum, June). The president of Pioneer Bible Translators tells how

praying differently rather than more has led to remarkable growth for the organization. Also from David C. Cook, Addicted to Busy: Recovery for the Rushed Soul (Sept.) by megachurch pastor Brady Boyd challenges readers to look at the speed at which they are living and find ways to slow down and make room for God. Pastor and airport chaplain Samuel Kee reflects on why people ink their skin and how God wants to make a deeper mark on their lives in Soul Tattoo: A Life and Spirit Bearing the Marks of God (Oct.). NOT JUST FOR CHRISTIANS Of course, Christians arent the only ones seeking guidance to organize their spiritual lives. The trend is toward greater interest [in these practices] from the spiritual not religious, spiritually independent seekers, says Stuart Matlins, publisher at SkyLight Paths and Jewish Lights. This is a growth area, but it is from a relatively small base. It would be a mistake to forget that most interest is from denominationally committed Christians and Jews, and it remains strong. In a wide-angle look, SkyLight Paths releases John Philip Newells The Rebirthing of God: Christianitys Struggle for New Beginnings (Aug.), which urges the rediscovery of spiritual practices as the basis for personal and world transformation. Jewish Lights has Living the Life of Jewish Meditation: A Comprehensive Guide to Practice and Experience by Rabbi Yoel Glick (Sept.), and Urim Publications presents a contemporary translation of Psalms in Plain English: English-Hebrew Pocket Edition (Apr.). Alden Solovy offers 150 prayers and meditations in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing through his own Kavanot Press (Apr.). For Buddhists and those interested in Buddhist practices, Shambhala Publications new titles include Yongey Mingyur Rinpoches Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foun-

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Religion Update
phy and Practice (Quest Books, Sept.). Shortly before her death last year, Karen Speestra, with coauthors theologian Herbert Anderson and palliative-care physician Ira Byock, completed her work on The Divine Art of Dying: How to Live Well While Dying (Divine Arts, Sept.), recasting the process of dying as a celebration of living. And Karen Maezen Miller finds spiritual insights underfoot in Paradise in Plain Sight: Lessons from a Zen Garden (New World Library, May), about how gardening can be a spiritual practice. While publishers are always looking for new ways to bake and slice the loaf of daily breadwith some going shorter and narrower, as others look for variations on the tried-and-true big names readers have proven they remain hungry for the spiritual sustenance these books can offer.

dation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism (July), written with Helen Tworkov. Jason Siffs Thoughts Are Not the Enemy: An Innovative Approach to Meditation Practice (Oct.) is aimed at those who think they cant meditate. Lodro Rinzler offers The Buddha Walks into the Office: A Guide to Livelihood for a New Generation (Sept.) and the how-to Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation (Dec.). Mind-body-spirit publishers also publish these kinds of books. From Sounds True comes Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic by Adyashanti (Apr.), about how peoples stages of enlightenment can parallel those of Jesus during his life. Just six words make up what Debra Landwehr Engle unpacks as The Only Little Prayer You Need: The Shortest Route to a Life of Joy, Abundance, and Peace of Mind (Hampton Roads,
PW May6 2013_Layout 1 4/30/13 6:06 PM Page 1

Oct.). It is followed in November by Gangajis Freedom and Resolve: Finding Your True Home in the Universe (Hampton Roads), which encourages the practice of self-inquiry in pursuit of authentic living. Rap mogul Russell Simmons looks at how inner peace and outer progress are linked in Success Through Stillness: The Simplest Path to Meditation from Gotham Books (Mar.), written with Chris Morrow. Interfaith minister Alan Pritz writes about Meditation as a Way of Life: Philoso-

Acts of Faith: Practices for the Spirit

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Religion Update

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Some publishers are seeing success with e-books and apps, others not so much

A Digital Divide for Religion?

By Andy Butcher

desire to make spirituality a more integral part of everyday life combined with the technology that makes that easier would seem a match made in, well, at least Silicon Valley, if not somewhere higher. But while some religion publishers report success with digital editions and even apps, its still too early to talk about evotionals as a hot new trend. As a proportion of total sales, e-books in the religion and spirituality category lag behind general trade numbers, says Jon Sweeney, publisher at Paraclete Press. Like others, he wonders whether the tactile, ritual aspects of prayer, meditation, and reflection mean people engaged in those practices are more likely to want to hold and interact with a real book. He adds, It might also have something to do with the audience for religion being more traditional overall, so they tend to be an audience that will hold onto the physical book more enduringly. At Franciscan Media, Barbara Baker, divisional director of sales, marketing, and Internet, sees a lot of different things happening right now. People are sort of all over the board. She says, Some of our devotional things have done fairly well [as e-books] and others not. That the digital upheaval has yet to settle into a clear pattern is reflected by the contrasting experience of InterVarsity Presss associate pubBarbara Baker

lisher and director of sales and marketing Jeff Crosby. A few years ago, I mistakenly believed that our spiritual formation titles Jeff Crosby would likely lag behind other general and academic books in digital adoption, he says. That has not happened. Overall, we are seeing the same percentage of digital titles in this category sold as in any other. At Shambhala Publications, president Nikko Odiseos credits savvy, segmented direct-to-consumer marketing with creating e-book sales for backlist titles like When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chdrn that are better than the industry average. As we have converted our backlist to digital, we are able to let subsets of our email and social media audience know, he says, avoiding information overload to our wider audience. THERES AN APP FOR THAT In an article headlined From Sexting to Sacraments: How Mobile Apps Are Taking on Religion, technology website Gizmodo recently observed that though the Bible was the first text to achieve widespread mass production, it has taken a bit longer for it to latch onto todays hot, new medium: mobile apps. Still, use of tablets and smartphones for Bible searches almost doubled in the three years leading up to 2014, according to The State of the Bible: 6 Trends for 2014, an April 8 report by the Barna Group, longtime researchers of religion in America. Probably the single most successful commercial daily devotional app for mobile phone users so far is the one for Sarah Youngs multimillion-selling Jesus

Calling. Thomas Nelson has sold 200,000 copies of the app without cutting into book sales, notes Laura Minchew, senior v-p and publisher of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift Books, Tommy Nelson Childrens Books, and New Media. That success helped prompt the companys recent Devotions Daily app, which offers a free introduction to other devotional apps by Young and by Max Lucado. Hachette Book Groups FaithWords is pursuing the app space aggressively, with more than a dozen currently available and plans to create more for backlist devotionals. Its biggest success has been with a version of The Confident Woman Devotional by Joyce Meyer, but most of our apps sell pretty consistently across the board, especially devotional apps by Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen, says Michele McKee, digital content director. Loyola Presss Three-Minute Retreat app, developed from an online resource launched a decade ago, has proved p o p u l a r, b u t there are no plans as yet for bookbased apps, says Joe Durepos, executive editor, trade acquisitions. Michele McKee Catholics are a little bit behind the curve technologically, he says. Our Sunday Visitors four apps include one for praying the rosary and a guide to saints names drawn from its longstanding Dictionary of Patron Saints Names. We have tested the market, but we are cautious, says president and publisher Greg Erlandson. The challenge with apps is the revenue stream. New World Library has produced almost 30 apps in the past six years. Works by Eckhart Tolle and Mother Teresa are in its apps catalogue, from which associate publisher Munro Magruder projects six-figure revenues in 2014. We believe that apps reach a different customer than e-books and are another factor that can help the discoverability of a particular title in all of its formats, he says.

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COUNTDOWN TO COUNSEL Pragmatism seems to be the order of the day for the many titles in the genre, from whatever faith tradition. Self-help style lists abound in such books as 101 Tips for the Smart Stepmom: Expert Advice from One Stepmom to Another by Laura Peterbridge (Bethany House, May); 7 Ways to Be Her Hero: The One Shes Been Waiting For by Doug Fields (W Publishing Group, June); and 52 Things Sons Need from Their Dads: What Fathers Can Do to Build a Lasting Relationship by Jay Payleitner (Harvest House, May). The new Barbour imprint Shiloh Run offers The Top 10 Most Outrageous Couples of the Bible: How Their Stories Can Revolutionize Your Marriage by David Clarke (June), who editor Paul Muckley calls a very fun writer from a strong biblical perspective. While Shiloh and Barbour have no particular plan to acquire in these durable topics, Muckley says that Shiloh Runs reach into the trade market makes such titles desirable. The topics are ongoing. Barbours way of doing things has done very well, but in todays environment we have to take every opportunity to grow. Abingdon associate publisher Pamela Clements seconds the no particular plan, but adds, We do have it as a topic or genre that we are intentional about acquiring. We like books that add value to readers lives. Abingdons titles include Julia Rollers Mom Seeks God: Practicing Grace in the Chaos (Apr.), in which Roller guides moms through 10 essential faith practices; A Blessing on the Way: Counting Each Day While Youre Expecting by Sue Christian and Meg Christian (Mar.); and Never Fight Again... Guaranteed! The Groundbreaking Guide to a Winning Marriage by David B. Hawkins (July).
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Family life is a mainstay topic, especially for Christian publishers

Love and Marriage, and Kids, and Books, Go Together

B A B

We all want our marriages to flourish, our children to succeed, our familieshowever configuredto thrive. Publishers are eager to help with books that tap into the need for triage, advice, emergency care, and encouragement.

he topics of marriage and raising children are both evergreen and ever new for first-timers, says Philis Boultinghouse, senior editor at Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. There is a strong need for people who have done well or learned from their mistakes to speak into these issues and give advice and help. Everyone needs guidance in these areas. Boultinghouse is behind Growing Up Duggar: Its All About Relationships (Mar.) by Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger Duggar. The girls are the four oldest daughters of the Duggars 19 children and speak to relationships in four areas: yourself, your parents, your country, and the world. The Duggars represent a very conservative lifestyle, and they are wellknown in the culture, says Boultinghouse. They bring to the discussion a very specific worldview, but are also part of the greater discussion about culture and family.

The four oldest Duggar daughters, from left, Jessa, Jana, Jinger, and Jill, are authors of the book Growing Up Duggar.

The vast majority of marriage and parenting books in religion are from Christian publishers. But Brave Parenting: A BuddhistInspired Guide to Raising Emotionally Resilient Children (Wisdom, Mar.) uses the Buddhist tradition as a jumping-off point to offer parents help raising children who are prepared for the slings and arrows of life. We dont routinely publish parenting titles, but we are deliberately trying to do more general audience books, says Laura Cunningham, production editor at Wisdom. We want to help people find a way to use their [Buddhist] practice in a practical manner.

Religion Update
HOW TO BE HEARD In such a crowded category, its hard to get above the noise, especially in the blogosphere, where so many mommy (and now daddy) bloggers hold forth on best-parenting practices. Getting above that noise might be behind B&H Publishings marketing plans for Raising a Princess: 8 Essential Virtues to Teach Your Daughter by John Croyle (May). Croyle and B&H had built relationships with media bloggers who are parents thanks to his earlier book The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood: A Proven Game Plan for Raising Sons (2013). This time out B&H is offering princess wand star cookies to bloggers who agree to review the book, and is also gathering stories from parents about how to engage with daughters; it will post the tips on social media sites throughout the book campaign. B&H will also publish A Christ-Centered Wedding: Rejoicing in the Gospel on Your Big Day (May) by Catherine Strode Parks and Linda Strode. This is a book that speaks to our core audience of church leaders really well, and we will be giving out copies to pastors and parents at multiple conferences in the next year, says Dave Schroeder, director of communications for B&H. Abingdon is offering a money-back guarantee on Hawkinss Never Fight Again, something the house has never done before. But Clements says, I dont think well get many back. Ive read the book and this advice is sound. Revells senior editor Jennifer Leep says that roughly 20% of its releases fit into the marriage/family/parenting category. We have a long history of publishing practical nonfiction books that apply the Christian faith to everyday life. There are any number of topics that remain strong felt needs in this categorycommunication, discipline, inti-

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macy, etc. We always want to make sure we have strong offerings that address those evergreen topics. Revells titles this season include I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Dont Go According to Plan by Kathi Lipp (June) and The Controlling Husband: What Every Woman Needs to Know by Ron Welch (June). Ron brought the perfect mix of professional and personal experience to this topic, says Revell editor Vicki Crumpton. Hes a counselor and a professor of counseling, and he had years of experience as a controlling husband before he realized the impact of his behavior on his family. CREDENTIALS, PLATFORM MATTER Revell, like most publishers, is looking for a platform and reach into the community that will read an authors books. Leep says the house tends to favor authors who are counselors with professional credentials and speakers with solid platforms who have demonstrated a strong ability to connect with their core audience. Still, says Crumpton, Its exciting to discover new authors whove been honing their message in the trenches who are now ready to write. Clements of Abingdon adds, Platform matters more than ever, but I wish it was not so. We look for an existing platform, or a willingness to work with us to build one. If an author is willing to put in the work before and when the book comes

Jim Daly

Jeannie Cunnion

out, then yes, we will overlook a weak platform. But with nonfiction, you cannot be a hermit. Those days are over.

Jeannie Cunnions blog with traction, according to David Morris, v-p and publisher of trade books, was enough for Zondervan to publish Parenting the Wholehearted Child: Captivating Your Childs Heart with Extravagant Grace (Apr.). In this day and age, women blogging has become its own new phenomenon. Jeannies reaching her audience online, says Morris. But she [also] has a background in counseling and a degree in social work, so she has the credentials. In April, Zondervan published The Good Dad: Becoming the Father You Were Meant to Be by Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family. His tumultuous backgroundan alcoholic father, a stepfather who deserted him, his time in foster careand his role at Focus allow him to speak from the crucible of experience. This is a remarkable book, says Morris. For publisher David C. Cook, the category remains competitive for authors trying to break in, while the number of titles each year remains steady. This is a category well hit three or four times every year. Its an area of massive need in the church and the world, and we want to offer biblical teaching on these issues, says Alex Field, publisher of trade books and media. Cook is publishing Love Well: Living Life Unrehearsed and Unstuck by Jamie George (Aug.) and Getting Ready for Marriage: A Practical Road Map for Your Journey Together by Jim Burns and Doug Fields (Sept.). We are bringing in people who are experts, who have done this kind of ministry, and are part of our overall ministry in a big way, says Field. These are respectable, credible sources writing on these topics.

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Religion Update
Wisdom Publishings marketing manager, Lydia Anderson, is pushing for Brave Parenting to be shelved in the parenting section of the store, not the section on Buddhism. We think hard about ways that readers will encounter our books, she says. While this book has its roots in Buddhism, its a general market title. Abingdon engages its marketing team at the acquisition stage, asking such questions as, can we reach this market? And, is the book clear in what it promises? Once the book comes out, the team searches for creative ways to engage readers. We ask the hard questions up front because we know there will be a wide number of other books that are similar or that speak to the same subject, says Clements. Every family is different, but every family is the same. We try to speak to the uniqueness of the situations, but have a sound basis at the core.

BIG NAMES HAVE STAYING POWER While publishers seem eager to bring new voices to the table, they continue to capitalize on authors who are established in the category: Jill Savage and Kathy Koch (Hearts at Home series): No More Perfect Kids: Love Your Kids for Who They Are (Moody, Mar.) Bob and Dannah Gresh (Pure Freedom series): Talking to Your Daughter About Understanding Boys (Harvest House, Mar.) Sarah Jakes (daughter of T.D. Jakes): Lost & Found: Finding Hope in the Detours of Life (Bethany House, Apr.) Jim George (husband of Elizabeth George): A Dad After Gods Own Heart (Harvest House, Apr.) John MacArthur (The MacArthur Bible Commentary ): Being a Dad Who Leads (Harvest House, May) Shaunti Feldhahn (For Women Only):

The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths About Marriage and Divorce (Multnomah, May) Of course, in addition to anything innovative a publisher might come up with, the standard marketing methods apply. David C. Cooks authors will be on media tours in the months surrounding the books releases. For Revell, its about readers getting to know their authors through all the ways available now. When readers feel that they can connect and relate to the author on a personal level, theres a greater chance theyll be drawn to the authors message, says Lindsay Davis, marketing manager for Revell. When an author offers extra content on his or her blog and social media, readers have an opportunity to engage with the author and get a sneak peek of what they can expect from the books.

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Feature

Animal books go to work

Spiritual Companions
By Kimberly Winston

Books starring our four-footed friends have become a publishing standard since John Grogans 2005 megahit Marley & Me (HarperCollins). But this spring the usual cats and dogs are even joined by horses in a batch of titles from religion publishers that explore not only the special emotional bond we have with animals, but also their ability to inspire us spiritually and help us in our daily lives.
moving beyond house cats and lap dogs to working animals with Dogs to the Rescue: Inspirational Stories of Four-Footed Heroes by M.R. Wells (Mar.) and, in a new twist, horses, with Great Horse Stories: Humor and Wisdom from Our Majestic Friends by Rebecca E. Ondov (Apr.), which tells stories of horses who inspire and help people with both physical and emotional problems. Abingdon Press also looks at working animals with Mans Best Hero: True Stories of Great American Dogs (June) by Ace Collins (profiled in this issue), which tells true stories of dogs saving the drowning and pulling people from fires. STILL RAINING CATS AND DOGS The stack of new books about working animals does not leave the common cat and domestic dog out this year. Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, had such success with A Dickens of a Cat (2007) and A Prince Among Dogs (2007) it has retitled and repackaged them as The Cat on My Lap: Stories of the Cats We Love and The Dog at My Feet: Stories of the Dogs We Love , edited by Callie Smith Grant (Oct.). Grant is the pen name of Lonnie Hull DuPont, executive editor at Revell.

t is timeless and universal, Sheila Waldman, cofounder of Tristan Publishing, says of the topic. Tristan is entering the category for the first time with My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace by tennis pro David Wheaton (Oct.), about how his yellow lab reminded Wheaton of what was important during the ups and downs of his tennis career. These books are about life and relationships, and that draws people in, Waldman notes. There is also money to be made. Americans love their pets so much they shell out more than $60 billion on them annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thats a number any publisher would be wise to pay attention to. As a business, it just makes sense to publish books with great stories about connecting with animals, says Kim Moore, senior editor at Harvest House. ANIMALS TO THE RESCUE Harvest House has long offered stories about pets, going back to 2006s Four Paws from Heaven: Devotions for Dog Lovers by M.R. Wells, Kris Young, and Connie Fleishauer, which has sold more than 125,000 copies. Now Harvest House is

DuPont points to a cultural shift: many people, especially those raised in rural communities as she was, once saw animals mainly as sources of food or workers, but now think of them as family members, friends, and companions. Still, a case of the cutes only goes so far at Revell: The president of our company is an animal lover, but he believes we should not assign to animals spiritual lessons, she says. We are not looking to the animals to inform the morning devotional, only to be the gifts from God they are. In that vein, Revell will publish in August the Marleyesque Surviving Henry: Adventures in Loving a Canine Catastrophe by Erin Taylor Young. Even a university press makes room for animals. Baylor University Press has A Dogs History of the World: Canines and the Domestication of Humans by Laura Hobgood-Oster (Apr.). Hobgood-Oster (The Friends We Keep: Unleashing Christianitys Compassion for Animals) is a professor of religion at Southwestern University, but BUPs press director, Carey Newman, is confident her book will have crossover appeal to the general trade. She is telling a story everyone already knows to be truethat dogs are humans best friends and have characteristics of spiritual power, Newman says. Universal as these stories may be, there are rising and falling trends, and Revells DuPont says religion publishers are now playing catch up. There was resistance in the market for a while to religion titles involving animals, she says. But now that people dont feel silly to admit they love their animals and are grateful for them, we are going to go forward. She expects to see more books focused on working animals, perhaps cancer-sniffing dogs or therapy horses, and says even birds are not out of the question. They are not cozy or furry and we cant ride them, but the Bible is full of them.

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Profiles

The many faces of spirituality

IN

Profile
whose 20 books include Sex, Ecology, Spirituality (Shambhala, 1995). Singh says Wilber supported her book wholeheartedly and referred her to agents. After The Grace in Dying came out, she says, I left hospice and [basically] did a five-year book tour. While she says The Grace in Dying was expository, Singh describes The Grace in Aging as contemplative. Crossing all wisdom and religious traditions, she says it deals with this question: What can we do to explore grace in the middle of living? Singh intends the book for readers in their mid-50s and older. She wants them to realize life is finite, they dont know how many days they have left, and if they are ever going to experience a spiritual awakening they should do it now. Singh believes many Westerners are blocked by the feeling that they have a basic flaw, and that spiritual awakening is available to other people but not themselves. Many people fail to attend to their spiritual selves as they go about life. All that stuff you worked so hard to acquire is going for pennies and dollars at yard sales, she says, and you should clean out your closets spiritually. When people wake up they can appreciate the deeper meaning of life. Its all really lovelyall of it, even the hard parts. A resident for 30 years of Sarasota County, Fla., where she is still in private practice, Singh grew up Catholic in Fairfield County, Conn., left the faith in college, and defined herself as a Buddhist for years, although not so

Kathleen Dowling Singh

much now. I guess at this point I dont see a need for a label, she says. While she has no specific conception of an afterlife, Singh holds an abiding faith that something about us exists outside birth and death. Singh is now at work on a book about the spiritual awakenings of respected Buddhist and Christian contemplative teachers. We live in a time when people have access to every religious tradition for wisdom, she notes, and I do think there is a merging in America, a onedharma approach to awakening.  Juli Cragg Hilliard

Sukey Forbes

barbara banks

Wake Up Now
In 1998, Kathleen Dowling Singh published The Grace in Dying (HarperCollins), a groundbreaking work on the spiritual process that often accompanies dying. Now, in her second book, The Grace in Aging (Wisdom, Aug.; reviewed in this issue), Singh urges baby boomers to wake up to their spiritual selves before its too late. If there is all of that radiance, peace, love, and basic sanity, why wait until 11:59? she asks over iced herbal tea in her quiet, Buddhabedecked home in Sarasota, Fla. Singh was an unknown when, inspired by her observations as a hospice worker and transpersonal psychologist, she wrote The Grace in Dying. I began to see in people who were dying the same types of spiritual shifts you would see in longtime meditators, Singh says. There is a really deep inner process going on for everyone at the end of life. People get deeper. People get real. Gratitude arises. Forgiveness arises. That first book deal came about because she reached out to respected spiritual teachers like philosopher Ken Wilber, founder of Integral Institute,

A Way Through Grief

It took many years and much reflection for Sukey Forbes to begin to feel alive again after her daughter Charlotte died of a high fever at the age of six. But one day, after a stranger said to her, You are so full of life, she realized that, for the first time in a long time, she was. Her healing process is chronicled in The Angel in My Pocket: A Story of Love, Loss, and Life After Death (Viking, July). While Forbes knew her daughters death was a tragedy she would never get over, she also knew it was one from which she hoped to grow stronger. I was equal parts determined to move through the grief, to really feel it, and determined to move back to living a full range of emotions, though I didnt know if that was possible, Forbes says. That journey through grief is interwoven with the narrative of her familys distinguished New England heritage in The Angel in My Pocket, and she says the
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Religion Update
family dynamic both helped and hindered the process. The great-great-great granddaughter of Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, Forbess family is solidly Boston Brahmin, a tradition famous for its privacy and discretion regarding family matters. She says her family has been largely supportive of the book, though some have shown concern. Ive tried to be sensitive about sharing and about balancing personal privacy and collective responsibility, she says. Forbess family tree offered the comfort of knowing that each members life had been recorded and remembered, going back generations. I know the names and a little bit about each of 500 people on the tree, she says. Being supported by that type of a network, that culture, was important to me. Whether visiting her familys island off the coast of Cape Cod or floating on

| Profiles

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a lake in Minnesota, Forbes also found comfort and peace in the natural world. Part of my family tradition is coming through Emerson, she says. We find God in nature. Although I like going to a church for the traditions that are there, I feel closest to God in nature. All of my breakthroughs and breakdowns have been there. She says a sense of place is important in her writing and that, in The Angel in My Pocket, nature, at times, serves as therapist, God, or holy refuge. Ultimately, however, the book is not about a particular place, but a process. Its a story of resilience, Forbes says. Its not just striving but thriving. I worked to find the gift in grief. If were open to it, there are great lessons to be learned from our suffering. I wanted to find those gifts and come back a better person for the grief. Forbes hopes her own story will help others as well. My primary goal in writing this book was to give people permission to decide to be okay, that they could work through horrible loss, pain, or suffering, she says. And if they do get to the other side, they could end up richer as a human being. Death can soften us in good, productive ways. Even 10 years after her daughters death, Forbes continues to grow and change because of her loss. Theres still a huge hole that wont heal, she says. But my heart has grown to allow more space for other things around that hole. In her efforts to heal, Forbes sought the advice of mediums and clairvoyants, trying to communicate with Charlotte. Stories of the near-death experiences of others and inexplicable signs in her own life have led Forbes to feel her daughter remains present in a real way. For Forbes, what awaits us in the afterlife remains uncertain, yet she feels a sense of comfort and believes her daughter is in a good place. We as souls dont go away, she says. When we die, souls leave [our] bodies, and I dont know where they go, but they dont vanish permanently, and whats left behind becomes a part of us. I have moved to a

place where I carry my daughter with me. Forbess living children are 17 and 13. When they and Charlotte were younger, she would say, If you miss me put your hand over your heart, because Im in there. Now, she puts her hand over her own heart, and thinks of Charlotte. I feel that she is in there, she says. Its as if we changed roles.   Kerry Weber

Ace Collins

Inspired by Dogs
Sometimes rescue dogs save us not just from fire, flood, and fallen buildings, but from ourselves. Thats the theme of Ace Collinss new book, Mans Best Hero: True Stories of Great American Dogs (Abingdon, June; reviewed in this issue), a collection of tales about real-life dogs that saved the lives of the people who loved them, often in unexpected ways. Bum was an abandoned dog living a rough life on the streets of New York City in the early 1900s when he found a homeless man freezing to death in a stable and went for help, saving his life. They adopted each other, and man and dog found the strength to pick themselves up off the streets. Collins, the author of more than 80 books, says these storiesabout a dog who stops traffic every day so children can safely cross the street, a dog who carried communication wires through the trenches during WWI, a dog who jumped in a frozen lake, not once but three times, to save a drowning man give us a glimpse of the potential in all living creatures. Rescue dogs dont need to be put

12 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A Y 5 , 2 0 1 4

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Religion Update
Bonnie Gray

This Summer from Wisdom Publications

F &he Be%&%elli!g A&h f Mindfulness in Plain English

down, Collins says from his home in Arkadelphia in his native Arkansas. They have incredible gifts they can give us and many things they can teach us. They are not limited by peoples perceptions of them. Collinss own rescue dog, a blind collie named Sammy who he and his wife rescued from a puppy mill, happily romped in the backyard mud as he spoke with PW. Sammy is blind, and you would think, no way he can have a happy, productive, normal life, and yet he does, Collins says. So did the dogs whose stories he tells in Mans Best Hero. Many of them ended up in loving homes after being abandoned for some defect. Sammy also led Collins to write the book. Lil Copan, senior acquisitions editor at Abingdon Press, read posts on Collinss blog about Sammy and suggested he write a book about special dogs. It is a return of sorts for the author. Well-known for his behind-the-scenes stories of famous singers and famous songs (Music for Your Heart, Abingdon, 2013) and for his seat-of-the pants fiction thrillers ( Darkness Before Dawn , Abingdon, 2013), he also wrote two books in the 1990s about the real-life Lassie. In a way, Collins says, hes been preparing to write this book for a long time. I have had dogs all my life, and they are around me and with me more than most people are. I think that gives me a natural ability to understand a bit more about how they are thinking. If you know them to that level, it is not that hard to get inside their heads. Collins hopes this wont be his last dog book. He is already at work on a biography of Sammy and wants to update Mans Best Hero every year. I would love to get readers to nominate their own dogs as heroes. Then I would write a book about 10 or 12 heroes a year, he says. That would thrill me to death.  Kimberly Winston

Finding Healing Rest

Bonnie Grays panic attacks started in 2011, just as she was making progress on her first book, a how-to title that was to be based on her successful blog, Faith Barista. The attacks didnt end until 2012, when she turned from that project and embarked on a very different book, the memoir-cum-guidebook Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest (Revell, June). Every night during the anxiety-ridden year she was trying to write her first book, Gray awakened every two or three hours with severe, choking panic attacks that were subsequently diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by a series of events shed experienced as a child, including her fathers painful departure after her parents divorce and her mothers strict approach to discipline, which once left Gray alone and feeling abandoned in their basement apartment for hours when she was four years old. A married mother of two young sons, the 43-year-old Gray says that in spite of her demanding childhood, for most of her life she was fearless, meeting the high expectations faced by a first-generation Chinese-American who was the eldest child of a single mother. Gray graduated from UCLA with a degree in computer science and engineering, and for years she worked as a high-tech corporate marketing professional. She cultivated a rich Christian faith, made a home in Silicon Valley, and didnt bat an eyelash at double-black diamond ski runs. Grays deep, secret hope was to be a

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wisdompubs.org

Religion Update
writer, but she felt the pressure to provide for her family and earn their respect instead of pursuing that dream. It was only in 2009, when she stopped working to stay home with her babies, that she started Faith Barista, a blog that explores the daily realities of being an everyday Christian. The blog led to the book dealand the panic attacks. Shaken, Gray sought solace in her faith and the help of a therapist. Finding Spiritual Whitespace , a painful, honest, and inspiring account, chronicles Grays discovery that in order to find my voice and heal my heart, I had to bring all parts of my story back to light, she tells PW. Key to the process of recovering her memories and integrating them into both her spiritual and worldly selves was accessing the ability to rest in what Gray calls spiritual whitespace. The term refers to the artistic and design principle that it is the unmarked, unfilled areas of a space or image that give the whole piece its definition, clarity, and meaning. Whitespace allows a painting to breathe, says Gray. It gives your eye a place to rest so you can see the colors. And in the swirl of modern life, she says, spiritual whitespace is a beautiful place where souls can rest. Grays spiritual whitespace proved to be her writing, but for others hiking, gardening, cooking, or singing could be sources of this healing rest, she writes. Journal prompts and biblical insights pepper the narrative, inviting readers to embark on journeys like Grays. Now free from panic attacks following a therapeutic breakthrough a year ago, Gray reflects on the obstacles that stood in the way of her healing for so longand her spiritual growth as she overcame them. Its hard for us to stop and rest because we have to face why we need it, she says. But spiritually speaking, thats our richest connection point with God. I dont have to do a thing. I just have to rest in Gods presence.  Holly Lebowitz Rossi

| Profiles

Taffi Dollar

Embracing Gods Love

Taffi Dollar wrote her seventh book, Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have (Amistad, June) thinking about Coretta Scott King and Harriet Tubman. They personify what Dollar strives to accomplish in the womens ministry she founded as co-pastor (with husband and author Creflo Dollar) of World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga. King and Tubman offer role models for women who struggle to make God a central part of their lives, which is also her struggle, Dollar says. Dollar initially wanted to call the book The Gracious Woman . But as it evolved to focus increasingly on relationships, the title changed to reflect a more intimate and tangible goal. Since theres such a focus in the book on the woman herself and the family and other people, we tied in the significant parts of [a womans] relationship with God, Dollar says. Its not just getting the love God wants us to have or receiving it, but really engaging in it. Drawing on the influence of women of old, who were being led by the Holy Spirit, and meditating on Gods word, she says, Dollar ends each chapter with a prayer and a few blank pages for readers to journal under topics like Breakthrough, Growth, and Mastery of New Understanding. She included that space to make the inspirational book more useful for support groups or for devotional meditation, a practice that helped her grow in her own relationship with God. Embracing the Love God Wants You to

Have offers tips and advice to help women build their self-esteem and draw them closer to God, their mates, and their children. The book draws on Scripture, personal anecdotes, and Dollars experiences with women she ministers to. She says the idea grew out of her own history. Gods love helped me to get over my particular fears, says Dollar. This book addresses a part of me that I havent written about in the past, being upfront and honest about traumatic childhood experiences. She writes about being awakened in the middle of the night at the age of five by a man tapping on her window. Although her father chased the man away, the fear never left her. The power of redemptive lovein relationships with God, family, and friendsis an emphasis of the book. Jesus was a redeemer, Dollar writes. Jesus didnt know what would happen, but yet he was willing to do His part... asserting Himself and willing to die and willing to sacrifice. And so many times in relationships, thats what it takes. Someone has to be willing to be the redeemer. Marriages dont end over lack of love, she believes, but an inability to change in the seasons of life, she says. Her parents were married for 49 years, but their relationship ended because they were unable to accept change. Dollar wrote about that because I thought that could help others and help them stand through crises and other tests of faith. Even sometimes when good things happen, we dont always know how to deal with that. Dollar considers Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have her best work because it provides a framework for Christian readers to consider the ways we all evolve over time. Ive just come to a place in my life that Im willing to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Mistakes, triumphs, things like that, says Dollar. Most pastors wives can easily shy away from those things. Theres pressure to be perfect and not

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Religion Update
concrete, a game plan to take the lessons from the field to the family. In First Team Dad, Pittman covers concepts like redefining success, creating a distinctive family culture, fostering teamwork and the right attitudes, and motivating others to do their best. Its easy to see [principles like teamwork or attitude at work] while were watching a game and recognize their importance, but taking those concepts and applying them to specific areas of our lives is harder, Pittman says. One of the ideas Pittman took from the field and instituted in his own family is the huddle. The team huddle gives the coach a chance to provide guidance and the players a chance to tell what theyre seeing on the field. Pittman says the family huddle gives him and his wife a chance to hear whats going on with the kids and give good coaching and feedback. As an agent, Pittman has an eye toward helping his clients not just sign well with their first pro team, but also have solid careers. The average NFL career is just 2.3 years, he says, so players must make the most of their time on the field while remembering that there will be a lot of life to come after their time in football is over. Fathers want to make the time they have with their kids count, too, Pittman says, but its important they take the long view of fatherhood when theyre tempted to think their voice doesnt matter. Some guys think theyve missed their chance. Their kids may be teens or grown up with kids of their own. They think a book like this is for guys with young children; they say All this book does is show me how bad I was. Pittman wants men to know its never too late to strengthen those relationships. [Fathers] dont have to keep a bad legacy going. The state of anythinga team, a business, or a familycan be traced back to the leadership, Pittman says. Entities with strong leadership thrive while those with weak leadership dont.  Deonne Lindsey

SKY

PATHS

share the imperfections. Im not ashamed to talk about the past and what made me who I am. More important than what people think is understanding how [to] overcome fears and the past.  Joshunda Sanders

BEST I N REL I GI ON
SPRING 2014
Using the holy island of Iona as an icon of new beginnings, internationally acclaimed teacher John Philip Newell explores the major features of a new renaissance of Christianity.

Drew Pittman

June 2014
6 x 9, 150 pp (est) 978-1-59473-542-4 Hardcover $19.99

Winning Fathers
Drew Pittmans sons were just nine and 11 when a routine moment got him thinking about how quickly his opportunity to shape their lives would be gone. Pittman, an NFL agent and the author of First Team Dad (Regal, July), came down the stairs for dinner one night to a glimpse of his wife and sons that stopped him in his tracks. It hit him that his boys were growing up fast. All these ideas Id had of being a dad flooded through my mind. When I got married, I had one idea about what being a good dad looked like; by the time they were born, I had another, he says. But the only thing all those ideas had in common was that I hadnt really acted on them yet. Pittman says he took a selfinventory and had to admit to myself that I was good, but not consistently great, at being a dad. For too long, Id just assumed good was enough. I was surviving and I was better than most. But that was a pretty subpar standard. With just seven years until his oldest would be out of the house, Pittman decided to act. He listed ways he could become a great dad, fleshing them out in hotel rooms late at night while he was on the road. It wasnt long before the list began to look like a table of contents to Pittman. He concluded that what he and other fathers needed was something

Provides spiritual practices to help readers cultivate the childlike ways of attention, self-awareness, joy and resilience in their inner lives as well as in their relationships with others.

May 2014
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This hope-filled resource for developing soulful, mature love is aimed at committed couples who are looking to create, maintain and glorify the sacred in their relationship.

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Available from Ingram and Baker & Taylor or directly from SkyLight Paths (800) 962-4544

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Religion Update

Reviews

Books in Brief
Eight Twenty Eight: When Love Didnt Give Up
Ian and Larissa Murphy. B&H, $15.99 trade paper (208p) ISBN 978-1-43368183-8

sometimes paradoxical ideas, but those illustrations are absent here. Singhs writing is abstract about the need to go beyond abstractions (We want to thoroughly explore, without preconception, the constant concept churning that has kept us in ignorance.); concrete examples and practices are needed. Most useful are the questions in the appendix, which should prompt readers to deepen their own understanding of their lives. (Aug.)

his is a most unconventional marriage book. The Murphys are a young couple who married in 2010, four years after a car accident left Ian Murphy with a catastrophic brain injury. Larissa sticks with Ian, even moving into his family home once he is sufficiently stable and comes home from the hospital. The book is a record of an extraordinary yet real relationship more than it is a strict recounting of events. Present and past time frames shift a little confusingly at certain points, but Larissa is a good writer and unsparingly honest about the emotional demands of transforming everyday, unremarkable love into love for someone with brain injury. The faith elements in the book are strong yet completely organic. A reader doesnt need to know the titles biblical reference (Rom. 8:28) to see that all things can somehow work for the good, given enough faith, love, time, and rehabilitation. (Aug.)

We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation
Brian D. McLaren. Jericho, $25 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4555-1400-7

The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older

Kathleen Dowling Singh. Wisdom, $16.95 trade paper (220p) ISBN 978-161429-121-3

ingh (The Grace in Dying) examines aging in an attempt to reframe the way this stage of life is viewed. Rather than a time of loss and diminution, aging brings the titular grace of a chance to become more self-aware and be ready to move offstage and make room for the next generation. Singh is a psychotherapist with insight, but her insights are unfortunately lost in vague prose. Buddhist teachers and writers often tell stories to illustrate and give the reader an imaginative approach to

cLaren (Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?), a speaker and former pastor who could be described as a heterodox Christian, gives more conventional versions of that faith another shakeup with this idiosyncratic religious education text. McLaren provides 52 short readings, each of them a short commentary on a Bible passage; each reading ends with an Engage section of questions to prompt reflection, discussion, or activities. While the book can be used by individuals, McLarens ideal audience is groups. He calls them learning circles and pictures them getting together over convivial dinners to use the texts; an appendix provides liturgical resources for developing more formal or quasi-worship gatherings. In a postdenominational religious culture, many who are interested in matters of faith are uninterested in what they can find on the ready-to-wear rack of religion offered in conventional churches, and McLaren hopes to provoke and engage those seekers. His usual Christian critics will simply be provoked. Agent: Kathy Helmers, Creative Trust. (June)

Lassie, so hes in his element with this collection of stories about dogs doing great things in a variety of circumstances, from performing service in wartime to saving their owners lives. A few stories are moving: a dog training program in prisons pairs shelter dogs with inmates, with both canine and human gaining dignity in the process; a service dog who guides her blind owner out of World Trade Center Tower 1 on Sept. 11, 2001, is remarkable. But Collins often tells far more than he shows (The glowing faces of the children living in this natural paradise showed excitement and hope as they built snowmen), and too many dogs sound too much like Lassie clones. Still, many dog people will likely bite on this, and the dog on the cover has a very handsome face. Agent: Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary Agency. (June)

Fly a Little Higher:

How God Answered a Moms Small Prayer in a Big Way

Laura Sobiech. Thomas Nelson, $24.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-52910-075-7
obiech is a member of a select group no one wants to join: mothers whose children have died. She chronicles her teenage son Zachs struggle with osteosarcoma. As he was dying, Zach, a musician, wrote a song, Clouds, that got both popular and music industry attention, leading to a short documentary about him and a celebrity music video of his song, the two videos together attracting more than 16 million YouTube views. Sobiechs story is about her son, but also about her family, their faith, and the process of facing death. The elements more than resemble the wildly popular YA novel The Fault in Our Stars, but this story is true. Sobiechs talent as a writer and love for her son are obvious. Her details ring true, not treacly, and the power of the book lies in its understatement of the faith and emotion, both of them strong, that course through the story. Keep tissues near. Agent: Jacquie Flynn, Joelle Delbourgo Associates. (May) 

Mans Best Hero: True Stories of Great American Dogs

Ace Collins. Abingdon, $15.99 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-4267-7661-8

he prolific Collins ( Music for Your Heart: Reflections from Your Favorite Songs ) is also the official biographer of

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Saturday, May 31, 2014 Javits Center, NYC www.TheBookCon.com

what is bookcon?

Taking place in the publishing and cultural capital of the world, BookCon is the event where storytelling and pop culture collide. Consumers and brands will experience the origin of the story in all its forms by interacting with the authors, publishers, celebrities and creators of content that influence everything we read, hear and see. BookCon is an immersive experience that features interactive, forward thinking content including Q+As with the hottest talent, autographing sessions, storytelling podcasts, special screenings, literary quiz shows and so much more. BookCon is the ultimate celebration of books, where your favorite stories come to life. 7,500 expected Fans 4,000 + Trade attendees (booksellers, retailers, librarians) 80 + Exhibitors 1,000 + Members of the Press

why should I exhibit? guests/programming

BookCon will celebrate the book community and connect your brand directly to the Fans who crave your content. BookCon will provide valuable face time with the trade; meet the booksellers, retailers and librarians you wont see elsewhere. This is also the place to be discovered with over 1,000 members of the Press in attendance.

Holly Black

Cassandra Clare

Cary Elwes

John Grisham

Humans of New York

Jeff Kinney

Stan Lee

James Patterson

Jodi Picoult

Amy Poehler

Rick Riordan

Lemony Snicket

Maggie Stiefvater

R.L. Stine

Jonathan Tropper

contact: Fred Evanko | Email: fevanko@reedexpo.com | Phone: 203.840.5965