America is No. 1 in the world in many ways. Sadly, it's also No. 1 in the purveyor of pornography. Many believers are trapped. Depending upon what surveys you believe, as many as 40% of all Christian men need to come clean from sexual sin.

That's why it's important that we get the word out about Dr. Doug Weiss' new book, Clean, published by Thomas Nelson, which releases today. Instead of haranguing men about their lack of sexual integrity, this is a proven plan for men committed to stay clean. That's because all Christian men have been called to a life of sexual success.

Dr. Weiss is a well-known author and has written many books. I got an advanced copy of his book in February and read it. To me, it's the best book he's written. It's clear and concise, and it has a lot of new information not contained in his other books—things such as intimacy anorexia and the importance of holiness and how it relates to being clean sexually.

Perhaps no representative of Christianity embodied the spirit of a fighting faith as well as the apostle Paul, who suffered profoundly for Christ. He also penned the famous verses in 2 Tim. 4:6-7, which refer to the Christian life as the “good fight.”

Kids and teens who need a little more incentive to read just got it from Tyndale House Publishers. Running June 1-Aug. 31, the publisher’s Summer Reading program offers an opportunity to earn rewards for reading designated books and writing about them online.

Paul L. Maier, an expert in ancient history, takes readers on a sensational ride with his popular character Jonathan Weber (Skeleton in God’s Closet, More Than a Skeleton), a Harvard professor. Shannon, Weber’s archaeologist wife, make a startling discovery at Pella, Jordan, then a second discovery in the geniza—a storage place for decaying manuscripts—in the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey. What begins as a cataloging of ancient manuscripts ends with the revelation of long-buried portions of the New Testament in the Constantine Codex.

Thomas Nelson is promising “more relatable” characters in its new middle-grade titles, releasing this month and in August under the Tommy Nelson brand.

In addition to its continuing Amish series, “The Mysteries of Middlefield” by Kathleen Fuller, the company is releasing four new series.

NavPress Think imprint and best-selling author Melody Carlson are inviting readers to help develop the main character of Trapped: Caught in a Lie, the next installment of the “Secrets” series for teens.

In Trapped, the main character finds herself caught in a sticky situation after cheating in school. Readers can help mold this character's identity by submitting ideas for her name, hobbies, activities, job, what her family life is like, who her friends are and the types of people with whom she interacts.

The winner will receive a library of Carlson’s Think books (a $275 value), including the “True Colors,” “Secrets” and “By Design” series.

NavPress will first screen the entries, then forward them to Carlson, who will select the winner. She will use some or all of the winning characteristics Trapped, which is scheduled to release in April 2012.

The contest is open until midnight May 22. Click here to enter. 

The two of you co-authored the 1963 The Cross and the Switchblade. What was David Wilkerson like to work with?

Elizabeth: He was a very gentle and generous man. He never took on the kind of persona business that so many Christian leaders do. He was a humble person and remained that all his life. We’re so grateful about that. Some leaders of ministries that become big—his ministry did become big after the book came out—and we thought, "Oh, if he goes the way of ... ," as many people from humble backgrounds, from simple backgrounds, when they begin to get a little bit of cash flowing through and a little bit of notoriety, of fame, go a very different way from the way David went.

Eric Metaxas’ biography of World War Two German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy--has been named the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) Christian Book of the Year.

The Thomas Nelson book was also voted Non-Fiction title of the year in the association’s 2011 Christian Book Awards, announced May 2 on the eve of the ECPA’s Annual Meeting and Executive Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The other winners were: Bibles: HCSB Study Bible, Jeremy Royal Howard and Ed Blum, general editors (B&H Publishing Group); Bible Reference: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament, John H. Walton, general editor (Zondervan).

Children: The Action Bible, Sergio Cariello, illustrator; Doug Mauss, general editor (David C. Cook); Fiction: Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers); Inspiration: You Changed My Life by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson).

Three of the ECPA winners were also named in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Retailers Choice Awards, announced April 26. Bonhoeffer was voted Auto/Biography, The Action Bible was named Children’s Bible and You Changed My Life took the Gift Book category.

Lillian enjoyed the thrill of courtship, or so her granddaughters thought, considering the eccentric Southerner was married seven times. No matter her flaws, she was loved by her three granddaughters, Ginger, Penny and Rose.

Rob Bell’s Love Wins (HarperOne) continues to enliven the online world.

David Platt—author of Radical and Radical Together—responded with a video from India. He not only challenges intellectual universalism—“thinking that in the end everyone is going to be OK”—but also what he believes is worse, functional universalism, “living like in the end everyone is going to be OK.”

Rob Stennett’s Homemade Haunting examines the paranormal using allegory and humor, as high school English teacher Charlie Walker takes a six-month sabbatical to write a horror novel.

When Charlie moves his family into an older house that they can afford, he has a poltergeist experience. He realizes then that as a method writer, he needs to actually feel the horror himself to fix the novel he’s been writing—one that’s not scary at all.

An interesting take on the Mayan end-of-the-world prediction, Hoesel’s The Alarmists is an action-packed, fast-paced novel that will keep the pages turning.

In the story, Arthur Van Camp decides to invest in the stock market based on events happening around the world, events that he, in fact, created. Meanwhile, aiming to stop the doomsday events, sociology professor Brent Michaels along with a team of military investigators must move to decide if there is a correlation with a chain of consequences, and where the next disaster will strike.

Faith is mentioned only briefly through the characters' convictions, and there seems to be no representation of how God might be moving in this end-of-the-world drama. Still, this work of suspense is well-written and will keep readers involved in seeing how the end of the world is portrayed. The book will attract readers of suspense as well as those interested in the 2012 prediction.

—Jennifer Toth

FICTION:

The Alarmists

Don Hoesel

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-0-764-20562-0

April 2011

Lis Wiehl continues her “Triple Threat” series with the third, starring a trio of best friends crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, FBI agent Nicole Hedges and federal prosecutor Allison Pierce. One murder after another seem to be linked, but the three can’t figure out how until Cassidy breaks the case with a surprising discovery. But can they outmaneuver a killer who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals?

Suspense fans will enjoy the taut action and pure evil of the antagonist; series fans will enjoy probing deeper in the lives of the best friends as each struggles with difficult situations.

Readers looking for a strong Christian element won’t find it here—though Christian themes are present, as are the occasional curse and graphic scene—but those looking for a good escape tale brimming with excitement will find much to enjoy. 

—Ann E. Byle

FICTION:

Heart of Ice

Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 336 pages, $25.99

978-1-595-54707-1

April 2011

When Life’s Not Working: 7 Simple Choices for A Better Tomorrow offers direction for those seeking help for life’s failures and disappointments. Merritt, senior pastor at Eagle Brook Church in White Bear Lake, Minn., is a champion of the ordinary man and presents steps the reader can take toward achieving the extraordinary in a complex world.

Merritt uses his enthusiasm for sports, including hunting and fishing, to introduce concepts grounded in Scripture and proven in his own life. His seven choices—don’t quit, do a few things well, be prepared, be consistent, be disciplined, stretch yourself and practice self control—are so simple that they are often missed or ignored, yet can lead to fulfillment for those struggling with an overloaded life.

Merritt is a thoughtful voice writing with old wisdom for a new world. His seven choices encourage and challenge all who think they just aren’t gifted enough to succeed in life.

—Eilene Ishler

When Life’s Not Working

Bob Merritt

Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)

hardcover, 256 pages, $17.99

978-0-801-01378-2

Christian Living

April 2011

In Kathryn Cushman’s Another Dawn, single mother Grace Graham finds herself coming full circle after choosing to run from life’s difficulties since her mother’s passing more than four years ago.

At the request of her sister and in hopes of reconciling with her father—whom Grace blames for her mother’s death—Grace heads for her hometown of Shoal Creek, Tenn., to help her father recover from surgery. While there, Grace’s 4-year-old son, Dylan, comes down with the measles. Knowing that her California employer’s son became autistic after being vaccinated worries Grace, so she decides against having Dylan vaccinated. But when the disease spreads and the town is quarantined, Grace is hit with a backlash of hate and blame, including from her sister whose baby daughter is fighting for her life.

In spite of the turmoil, Grace chooses to stay, and with the help of an old friend who comes to her aid, she finds herself praying for her niece to be healed and that God will help her reconcile her relationships. 

Through her characters, Cushman—a former pharmacist—demonstrates both sides of the immunization argument. The well-written Another Dawn shows that choices have consequences, good or bad, that affect others.

—Nicole Anderson

Another Dawn

Kathryn Cushman

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-0-764-20825-6

February 2011