Margaret Feinberg talks about her experiences in writing her newest release, Scouting the Divine. Feinberg spent time with shepherds, a beekeeper, a farmer and a vintner in order to get up close and personal with some of the Bible's most powerful imagery.

Both developments are of great significance to the Christian retailing world, where the core Bibles market has become increasingly competitive in recent years. As we noted in a report earlier this year, Christian stores' Bible sales in 2007 covered more than 7,000 SKUs. That's a lot of variations on a theme.

Those behind the NIV and TNIV--the Committee for Bible Translation, Biblica and Zondervan--have launched a Web site (http://www.nivbible2011.com/index.php) explaining the move and inviting comments and questions.

At the Zondervan blog (http://zondervan.typepad.com/zondervan), President and CEO Moe Girkins says that she hopes the new edition will be "the first step toward an NIV that's even easier to read and understand, and that it will continue to find its way into the hands and hearts of millions."

Critics of the TNIV have responded to the news of its demise: Randy Stinson, president of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/CBMW-leader-very-encouraged-by-NIV-announcement) and Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary (http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/The-NIV-Announcement-A-Statement).

Not everyone is happy about the announcement, though: http://www.emergingwomen.us/2009/09/01/zondervan-the-tniv-and-gender/

Here (http://www.biblica.com/bible/cbt/index.php)
you can find details of the team that will be working on the new NIV.

What do you think? Let us know by joining the conversation at our Christian Retailing Community forum, https://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/retail-focus/forum.

Last month, LifeWay Christian Resources (LCR) launched three iPhone applications based on The Love Dare by Fireproof movie-making brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group), which has sold more than 2 million copies since it was released Sept. 28.

I remember my first trip to a University of Tennessee football game in Knoxville, Tenn. Fear gripped my heart when I realized I hadn't worn any team colors, fretting I'd be the biggest oddball of the bunch in the big, orange sea of supporters questioning my knowledge of the team's history.

Thomas Nelson is offering a free PDF of the New Testament from its upcoming The Expanded Bible, which releases in August. On his blog, Off the Shelf, publisher Wayne Hastings notes that the release is the latest in a series of “landmark” Bible products from the publisher in the past few years. He also explains the uniqueness of the Bible:

• It meets the needs of the contemporary student of the Bible by combining devotional reading and in-depth study in a completely new way. Users can now study the Bible while they read with study aids and resources placed in-line with the text of the Bible.

• It joins Bible text with traditional wordings, explanatory comments, additional wordings, literal meanings and expanded word definitions, all integrated within the text of the Scripture.

• It offers readers a unique Bible study experience by making them a part of the process and decisions made by scholars while developing a translation

The PDF download is available through Hastings' blog or by clicking here.

As I was looking through galleys of forthcoming titles recently, I came across a book that I thought looked interesting from a small but long-established publisher. It sounded like it might at least earn an online mention and so, before I assigned the review, I looked through more carefully. Centering on a “bucket list”-type theme, the book offered a set number of activities to do before you pass away (“hug someone,” “plan your own funeral”). Morbid topic but the book livened it up a bit.

Comedian Dennis Swanberg releases his book The Man Code (Freeman-Smith LLC), along with co-writer Ron Smith, on May 1. In this Q and A, he explains his passion for men's ministry, how retailers can attract more male shoppers and the challenges of Christian comedy.

Cue Bette Midler vocals...”Did I ever tell you you're my hero?” For those of you who never did, shame on you. But now there's another chance now on the Web site called “The Noticer Project.” Inspired by the Andy Andrews book The Noticer (Thomas Nelson) releasing April 28, the site gives visitors a chance to pin down the five most influential people in their lives. From that point, they decide how to best “notice” the person – whether taking them to coffee, writing a note or building a monument (I made that last one up).

Other than paying honor to those who deserve it, “The Noticer Project” will also help draw more attention to the title, helping to “really move books” at retail, said Rusty Shelton, managing director of Phenix & Phenix, which, along with Andrews and publisher Thomas Nelson, is helping to promote the site: “We are seeing great buzz so far.”

The book follows a mysterious character named Jones who appears at crisis moments to offer advice to strangers. Andrews writes,”when we notice things about ourselves and other people that allow us all to regroup, take a breath, and begin our lives again, the best is surely yet to come.”

Are there five people who've contributed to your life in a meaningful way? I think the hardest part will be whittling your list down to just five. Also, will the key influencers also be your best friends or is it something to consider that sometimes even your enemies have contributed to your current path? Perhaps even strangers?

Aames--who also starred as superhero Bibleman in videos from 1995-2004--filed for bankruptcy last year and sold off his belongings March 26, The Kansas City Star reported. After struggling for years with drug and alcohol addictions, Aames, 48, became a Christian and an ordained minister.

If you're not sure what the emerging church is, you're not alone. Judging from this lively debate, which took place at Christian Book Expo (CBE), authors Tony Jones and Scot McKnight seem to say it's hard to define exactly what it is. Kevin DeYoung, a co-author of Why We're Not Emergent (Moody Publishers), square off against the two during the presentation, which also includes Alex and Brett Harris, authors of Do Hard Things (Multnomah Books).

During a breakfast at International Christian Retail Show 2008, Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence (Baker Books), seemed to sum up at least part of the movement by saying it's a modern Reformation, changing Christianity from an entirely Scripture-based approach to one that accommodates for some emotion and feeling. Jones' comments in the video support that when he says it would make people “uncomfortable” to know his views on the reliability of Scripture.

I think there's a bit of an identity crisis going on or at the very least a strong resistance to labels. McKnight points out there are more conservative theologies included in the movement and doesn't seem to like them all lumped together. After the debate, I asked author Donald Miller, since his name was mentioned as a leader and he pointed out that he attends a non-emergent church. He seems to refuse the label and being drawn into the discussion. Rob Bell (Jesus Wants to Save Christians), another author frequently drawn into the mix, pretty much said the same thing when I asked him last year.

Maybe labels could be done away with (which we all know isn't going to happen) or perhaps a new set are needed for a group that is a little more diverse and less united than many thought.

As a retailer displaying books by all the authors mentioned, perhaps side by side, how do you direct your customers to what they are looking for and handle the complaints from those purchasing a book they discover they strongly disagree with?

Check the video out here.

The "main event" of last month's Christian Book Expo, the debate/panel discussion "Does the God of Christianity Exist?" featuring author Christopher Hitchens, Doug Wilson and Lee Strobel, has been posted. You can watch it here.

The discussion was the best attended event at the show, even drawing a few Hitchens supporters from the Dallas area. Although the moderator provided some personal perspective, some of the people I spoke with felt he overstepped his bounds to engage Hitchens, taking time away from the panelists. Still, it's an informative panel. Take a look and let us know what you think in our comments section.

Patrick Morley, author of the best-seller Man in the Mirror (Zondervan) has gone the self-publishing route on his latest release, How to Survive the Economic Meltdown, and is even giving away digital copies on his Web site www.survivethemeltdown.org.

“A lot of parents can't afford to take their kids to McDonald's, much less afford a book,” Morley said. “I know what they're feeling – and I want to help.”

Since launching a few weeks ago, more than 20,000 copies of the book have been downloaded or sold (hard copies are offered for $9 on the Web site).

Morley speaks from his experience as a former real estate developer who fought off bankruptcy during an economic crisis in 1986.

Man in the Mirror, Morley's most popular book, has sold more than three million copies.

In a scene in Wednesday's night Lost, main character Jack barges into another character's house to find out what they're going to do to get out of the mess they were in. He discovers Sawyer sitting reading a book and questions him on it. “It doesn't look like you're doing something about it, it looked like you were reading a book.” Sawyer then argued “I heard Winston Churchill read a book every night, even during the blitz. He said it made him think better.”

That prime-time book plug, ironically during an addictive TV show, should remind viewers that books aren't just something to pass the time away but a valuable resource, even when they don't seem to fit in the schedule. They not only provide escape but help exercise the mind to make better informed decisions. As Christians, there's an even more valuable element.

While technology offers more distractions from reading, it also has the potential to make it easier to squeeze it in, like audiobooks, eBooks, etc. Last week in Dallas, author Thelma Wells made the humorous point that there's no excuse for not reading the Bible; “You know they even have it in DVD.” How many formats do you have your Bible in? How many audio or eBooks do you have? Do you find it makes it easier to fit reading into your schedule or is it still a discipline you have to exercise?

With all the new technologies, are you reading more books or less? How often do you read? And how are your customers' reading habits changing?

I'm back in the office after a whirlwind trip to Dallas for the Christian Book Expo. You can check out our coverage of the events in several news pieces we've posted in our news section.

Aside from the questions left by the meager attendance, there were other nuggets from the weekend that will make it a memorable one. Authors truly were the stars of the show and for those who attended, it was a great chance to hear from your favorites and find new ones as well. Here are a few observations:

Evening Worship Sessions: The evening sessions were first class, alternating inspirational words from folks such as Max Lucado and Thelma Wells, music from artists Nicole C. Mullen and Cindy Morgan and multi-media elements. Not to belabor a point (too late), but the program was really worthy of a stadium full. Those of us who were there can consider ourselves to be caught in the crosshairs of an abundance of ministry and talent.

Random quote No. 1: “I can barely stand to look at the cover” - suspense writer Bill Myers explained was his answer when asked if he ever likes to read his finished novels.

Community: There's something to be said about the community of Christian authors who reach across their genres to support and hold each other up. Liz Curtis Higgs, who happens to be one of funniest people on the planet and a pretty perfect moderator, noted romance writer Beverly Lewis and suspense author Robert Lipaurulo (a one-time CR writer) seated beside each other on the fiction panel and said you “could not have put two people more different” beside each other. It was also good to see Jeanette Oke get props on more than one occasion for “pioneering” the Christian fiction category.

Random quote No. 2: “You know, I'm honestly astounded that anyone would read my stuff, I really am.” - Max Lucado, during an interview.

Discussions: The panel discussions got pretty lively but never too heated, even the “main event” of Christopher Hitchens against the “den of lambs,” as Doug Wilson put it. I actually thought the emergent church dialogue between Kevin DeYoung, Tony Jones and Scot McKnight was a little more heated. It also really made my day to hear theologian J.I. Packer explain that he tells children “everything we desire to see in heaven will be there.” Do we have to pick which one?

Random quote No. 3: “The gospel is not just for unbelievers. The cross must be central in all our thinking” - Justin Taylor, in Friday's panel discussion, “What is the Gospel?”

The Twitter Effect: The social networking micro-blogging Twitter was in full effect during the weekend, providing one more connection point for those who attended (there was even a Tweet-up on Saturday) and those receiving the play-by-play at home. Through these tweets, we learned what people thought of any given panel discussion, workshop or even the Tweetup itself. :-)

Random quote No. 4: “The emergent church has been caught in the cross-hairs of culture war.” - McKnight, during “The Emerging Church” panel discussion.

Book News bits: A few teases about upcoming books during the weekend:

-Higgs' current project, Here Burns My Candle, has a tenative March 2010 release date. It will be set in Scotland and based on the Ruth – Boaz – Naomi story.

-Zondervan is moving ahead with a line of Amish fiction.

-Jerry Jenkins' next book will be a spy thriller called.....Spy. That's why he gets paid the big bucks.

-Myers' next thriller, God Hater, will center on a atheist college professor and a real-life personality downloading technology. He says it's his “favorite book yet.”

-Kate Gosselin (Multiple Blessings) has cookbook coming in the fall.

-Rob Bell's next release, Drops Like Stars, will coincide with a speaking tour and will be a large, full-color coffee table book. It'll be out in August.

Random quote No. 5: “I don't want my readers to go to bed at night dwelling on blood.” - Terri Blackstock, speaking on violence in Christian fiction during the Fiction Showcase.

The handwritten Bible: The Zondervan Bible Across America tour, allowing people to handwrite a Bible verse for inclusion in a new published version of the NIV, was pretty much one of the coolest opportunities of the weekend.

Random quote No. 6: “My wife is calling me.” - Henry Blackaby, ignoring his ringing cell phone in the middle of his turn on program Friday evening.

So that's it. I could also tell you about the life-threatening cab rides, the downtown walks through no-man's land and the convergence of red-coated Mary Kay reps at the host hotel, but I'll save all that for the screenplay. Thanks for reading.