New series, reprints and authors' online category guide aim to maximize segment's growth

In the absence of a runaway best-seller, center-stage spot on the exhibition-floor for inspirational movies and reduced show space for many companies, publishers jockeyed for attention.

The biggest single book happening of the week—in contrast to others' pared-down ICRS efforts—brought out a large crowd for FaithWords' Author Reception, forcing organizers to send out for more food for all the guests.

Several hundred turned out to hear from recent FaithWords arrivals Charles Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Philip Yancey, Ted Dekker and Jill Kelly.

"We are publishing our strongest list ever this fall, and naturally we wanted the retailers to take note of its significance as well," said Hachette Book Group Director of Publicity Shanon Stowe.

If no one title garnered most of the attention at ICRS, a category did—the still-growing area of inspirational fiction.

ICRS was a stop on the three-city, 10-venue B&H Publishing Group's Thriller Tour promoting authors Robin Carol, Brandilyn Collins, Tosca Lee and James L. Rubart.

The trip was due to end in New York City the following week, with Collins and Lee participating in a panel at ThrillerFest, the international thriller writers' group meeting.

Their involvement in that event "shows that Christian fiction has a tremendous amount of respect," said Julie Gwinn, in B&H trade book marketing. "Good fiction is good fiction, no matter whether it is inspirational or whatever."

Popular Amish-fiction author Wanda E. Brunstetter helped Barbour Publishing host its third annual Barbour Fiction Café, signing books and mingling with retailers.

Visitors were given an advance copy of Brunstetter's next book, Lydia's Charm, a stand-alone title releasing in September. It is to be followed by The Journey, the first in a new, three-part series, "Kentucky Brothers."

Summerside Press introduced a new series from Christian fiction favorites Bodie and Brock Thoene, "The Zion Diaries," which picks up on the pair's popular World War II books.

Whitaker House reported a good response to extending its fiction with a recent first African-American title, Vanessa Miller's Yesterday's Promise.

Another respected figure in Christian fiction at the show was Carol Johnson, recognized for her pioneering of the category—signing Janete Oke's groundbreaking 1979 Love Comes Softly for Bethany House Publishers—with the naming of the American Christian Fiction Writers' (ACFW) highest annual Book of the Year Award as The Carol Award, in her honor.

Johnson and husband Gary, both still working part-time for Bethany since their retirement in 2008, spoke about their own J&J Literary Advisors project with Hendrickson Publishers to bring out-of-print fiction back to the market. The first titles will come out next spring with fresh covers, with plans for about a dozen titles a year, they said.

Christian fiction's gala night was on the eve of ICRS, when around 160 writers, publishers and agents gathered to find out which of 165 novels from 26 publishers won this year's Christy Awards.

Winners: Contemporary Romance: Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale House Publishers); Contemporary Series: Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson (Thomas Nelson); Contemporary Standalone: The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson (Thomas Nelson); First Novel: Fireflies in December by Jennifer Brin Valent (Tyndale House Publishers); Historical: Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); Historical Romance: The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen (Bethany House/Baker Publishing); Suspense: Lost Mission by Athol Dickson (Howard Books); Visionary: By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press); and Young Adult: North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook Press).

While some ACFW authors were at ICRS for publisher signings, they also took time out to man the group's booth and tell retailers about a new program intended to help stores sell more fiction.

They spoke about the free online fiction guide, www.fictionfinder.com, which provides information about authors and their books, including the genre, what social issues may be addressed in the story and its level of intensity.

• Prev
• Next