FaithWords launches new fiction series from Dr. James Dobson adding to his book-publishing legacy

Marriage and family are James Dobson’s bread and butter—always have been. He believes so strongly in fighting for family values that when he left the family empire he grew from scratch, he launched another similarly oriented ministry, Family Talk. This devotion—this calling—has also moved him to write, from peer-reviewed publications to trade books to, now, works of fiction. 

Yes, Dobson believes strongly in the power of story. As it turns out, the FaithWords series he is writing with co-author Kurt Bruner—Fatherless (January, see Book News in this issue), Childless (September) and Godless (May 2014)—develops around the themes of married life versus free love, the value of family and the nature of godless politics. 

“I was approached by my longtime friend, Joey Paul, about the idea of publishing fiction with Faith Words/Hachette,” Dobson said. “It was Joey who suggested I produce a film series in the late 1970s called ‘Focus on the Family’ (separate from the ministry). That series was seen by over 80 million people worldwide. Obviously, he has pretty good instincts for what might be helpful to Christian people.”

Dobson’s nonfiction works include The Strong-Willed Child, Bringing Up Boys and its counterpart for girls, and his books have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. However, readers haven’t seen Dobson write fiction before, but he has always believed in it, as can be seen from the support of his Focus on the Family organization for “Adventures in Odyssey,” a radio show for children that has grown into a significant brand for Christian retailers.

“This is my first novel, but not my first foray into fiction,” he told Christian Retailing. “I have always believed in the power of narratives to influence thought and shape the spiritual imagination. While with Focus on the Family, I challenged the team to create a radio drama series called ‘Adventures in Odyssey.’ My co-author, Kurt Bruner, led that team for several years and oversaw a wide range of story-driven productions such as the Radio Theatre adaptations of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of this new trilogy to embody themes on which I have been writing, speaking and broadcasting for decades.”

His fiction series will only add to his publishing legacy.

“Dr. Dobson has been a powerful force in Christian publishing for decades and I’m sure he will make further contributions through his new fiction series with FaithWords,” said Mark Kuyper, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. “It will be exciting to see him explore a new genre to deliver his message of hope and spiritual health for families.”

Dobson has seen his books released by many a publisher, most prominently Tyndale House Publishers. 

In 2005, Tyndale also released Family Man, an authorized biography by Dale Buss, who set out to write with “a “balanced perspective and the analysis of a journalist” and find Dobson’s place in history, he said in a Tyndale video. 

“He has a particular passion for families, for children and for the unborn, for people who are innocent, and that has driven much of what he has done over the years,” Buss said. 

While the hardcover is out of print, Tyndale is updating the e-book edition for release in March.

Harvest House Publishers also played a role early in Dobson’s writing career. 

“It can be said of Harvest House, to a large degree, that we were born out of the vision my father, Bob Hawkins Sr., founder of Harvest House, had for launching the writing careers of a number of significant communicators when he was with Tyndale House in the late 1960s,” said Bob Hawkins Jr. “Of course, men such as Dr. James Dobson and Tim LaHaye went on to become highly successful authors following the release of their first books, and so I personally feel a special connection to their legacies through my father’s work.  Upon my father’s death a few years ago, Dr. Dobson told me that my dad had suggested the title, Dare to Discipline, for his first book. That meant a lot to me, and still does, as I know this particular book has been used by God to impact millions of families across the globe!”

Hawkins said Harvest House was “grateful” to have the opportunity to reintroduce two out-of-print Dobson devotionals in one volume, Dr. Dobson’s Handbook on Family Advice, and a gift book by Shirley Dobson and daughter Danae, Welcome to our Table.  

“Though there are not any current plans to publish more books by the Dobsons, I can gratefully say it has been a wonderful privilege to tie together the Dobson family early days with their present family legacy, especially in view of our own family connection to theirs,” Hawkins added.

Dobson’s best-selling books brought readers to retail for more help with their marriages, raising children and simply learning how to live the Christian life. His expertise as a psychologist may be what drove moms and dads to need his advice, but his empathy as a father himself no doubt helped as he offered examples from his own life as Shirley and he raised two children. Daughter and best-selling author Danae has written 23 books in total, while brother Ryan also has written books, including one he is currently writing to accompany the final film of the “Building a Family Legacy” series, of which he was associate producer. 

“We are a noisy family of ‘talkers’ and writers,” said Dobson, who appreciates the “vital service” of Christian retailers.   “It is a blessing to partner with them in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“The Christian retail industry has given authors like me a platform for more than four decades,” he added. “My journey as a widely read writer started with the release of Dare to Discipline in 1970. The impact of that book exceeded my wildest expectations, thanks, in large part, to the support of Christian retailers.”

Dobson is also working on a nonfiction book that will release in conjunction with his new video series next fall.

“The original film series, ‘Focus on the Family,’ was addressed to a generation of young parents living in the 1980s,” he said. “I attempted to teach them biblical principles of marriage and parenthood. This new series, coming along 35 years later, is intended for their grandchildren, who are largely unfamiliar with the family advice that had such a significant influence on their grandparents. Stated another way, Focus was the first ‘bookend’ of my professional work. This new series, ‘Building a Family Legacy,’ is the second ‘bookend.’ It restates and extends the fundamentals of family life for a new generation of parents. I am very excited about it.”

Former CBA international director played integral role increasing the reach of Christian resources worldwide

Christian publishing industry veteran Jim Powell died Nov. 19 in Queensland, Australia, surrounded by his family. Powell, 68, was diagnosed with cancer last fall in Cairns, Australia.

“We gathered to grieve, celebrate, eat and sing together about God’s love,” Powell’s daughter, Jennifer Dilger, wrote on the CaringBridge.com page dedicated to her father. “Jim was comfortable and eyes opened from time to time. … The family and I arrived at about 11:15 Monday morning, which would be Sunday early evening in the United States. The breathing was raspy and I was told by the nurse that Jim would not wake up again. It was only an hour later that we knew he would be welcomed home.”

Powell stepped down as president of Christian Trade Association International (CTAI) in 2011 in order to serve as a mission-station guest house manager with his wife, Peggy, in Papua New Guinea for Wycliffe Bible Translators. He was the former international director for CBA who was a driving force in establishing CTAI when the U.S.-based Christian retailers’ association shed its overseas chapters in 2005.

“Jim served the Lord in literature ministry for more than 40 years,” said Kim Pettit, CTAI’s executive director and CEO . “He will be greatly missed.” 

 Pettit and Powell “worked and traveled together for two-and-a-half years, and he continued to mentor and encourage me even after his retirement,” she told Christian Retailing. 

 CBA President Curtis Riskey told Christian Retailing that Powell was “a trailblazer, expanding the reach of the gospel and supporting the distribution of Christian resources throughout the world.”

“He spent his life in service and ministry to others in pursuit of the Great Commission,” he said. “Jim played an integral role at CBA increasing the reach of Christian resources into so many international cultures and markets. The work he started at CBA will continue to bear fruit for many years to come.”

Mark Hutchinson—co-owner of Blessings Christian Marketplace, a chain of four stores based in Chilliwack, British Columbia—said Powell was “a true statesman and fantastic ambassador for our industry on a global basis.

“His passing is a big loss for our industry, a man of knowledge and care for those who he interacted with,” he said. “I personally enjoyed the times when we were able to discuss and strategize how we, as an industry, could continue to be a light and relevant in the ever-changing market we live and serve in.”

Having previously served as president of the International Bible Society, Powell joined CBA as international director in 1994. With the founding of CTAI, he hosted an annual international celebration lunch and the International Marketsquare section at the exhibit floor of CBA’s summer show, providing a meeting point for those doing international business. 

In 2008, CTAI debuted Marketsquare International, an annual January show providing a one-stop North American buying opportunity for overseas visitors in the absence of CBA’s canceled winter show.

Funeral arrangements were pending at press time. Powell is survived by his wife and their three children.

Former editor of ‘Christian Marketplace’ magazine to edit new publication

Christian Resources Together has announced the launch of a new trade publication to replace the former Christian Marketplace magazine in the United Kingdom. 

The inaugural issue of the bi-monthly—titled Together—will be published next month.

The decision to publish a new magazine followed talks with retailers and suppliers who expressed a desire to see a continuation of an independent print trade magazine. 

The Together team is composed of Steve and Mandy Briars, publishers, Christian Resources Together; Clem Jackson, editor; and Eddie Olliffe, consulting editor. 

“I am pleased to be part of this new magazine as it is an opportunity to support, encourage and resource the trade to build community at a time when we need each other,” said Jackson, former editor of the trade magazine Christian Marketplace, whose publication Premier Christian Media/CCP called to a halt with its September issue.

The first edition of Together will be a 24-page pilot issued in February, with the full 48-page magazine to be launched in April. The magazine will be contemporary in style while retaining a familiar feel for the readers of Christian Marketplace. 

Along with trade news and product information, Together will aim to be a valuable resource for retailers with features such as author interviews and bookshop profiles.

www.christianresourcestogether.co.uk, or email Steve Briars at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Christians urged to ‘Spread Love’ in East African country, Christian resources again made available in West African nation

A Christian publisher in Kenya has launched a campaign to prepare Christians for the East African country’s March elections. Meanwhile, CLC International re-opened a Christian bookstore in September in Monrovia, Liberia, at the historic Providence Baptist Church. 

Five years ago, post-election violence in Kenya killed 1,500 and displaced 250,000, BBC News reported. 

“We need the prayers, goodwill and support of Christian Trade members worldwide as we carry out the ‘Spread Love in Kenya’ campaign,” said Martin Karanja, managing director of Arba Publications, a Nairobi, Kenya-based member of Christian Trade Association International (CTAI). “This initiative is geared to ensuring that Christians in Kenya practice the greatest commandment so that we never have a repeat of what happened in 2007 and 2008.”

The campaign is focused around Love: The Christian Signature, an Arba-published book, with a seven-minute DVD of the same name. The book by Edward Buri—a Princeton graduate, youth pastor and adjunct professor—has sold more than 6,000 copies.

Working with churches, retailers and schools, Karanja has organized events in a dozen cities, including Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru and Naivasha. The campaign, which has reached more than 50,000 people via radio, TV, print and events, has also crossed national borders, with the most recent public meeting in Kampala, Uganda.   

“We have 19 active members,” said Jackie Ojiambo, owner of Wells Books and Gifts and chairperson of CTAI in Kenya. “We meet to pray, fellowship, encourage one another and address issues that affect our industry and nation.” 

CLC operated a Christian store in the West African country from 1948 until 1996 when the bookstore became a target for violence. Twice the store was looted and destroyed, and CLC workers were forced to flee. As a result, CLC’s work in Liberia was “temporarily suspended.” 

Two years after hostilities ceased, CLC sent a research team to explore the opening of a new store, but much of the infrastructure was inadequate. 

In February 2012, another CLC team discovered that conditions had improved and a plan was put in place to re-open by year’s end. CLC USA helped to arrange for the shipment of a 20-foot container filled with start-up inventory, including used books donated by individuals and churches through CLC’s Christian Book Link program. 

The new store is located inside Providence Baptist Church, the site of the founding of the country by returning American slaves in 1847, and the founding documents still reside in the church.

U.S. publishers report strong interest in inspirational fiction, youth fantasy at international gathering

U.S. Christian publishers reported brisk business during the world’s biggest annual book exhibition.

Held Oct. 10-14 in Frankfurt, Germany, the Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF) marked its 64th anniversary, attracting more than 150,000 professional visitors and around 7,400 exhibitors from 100-plus countries, according to organizers. The event had a major focus on children’s publishing as well as digital publishing.

Significant news from Frankfurt included Book Industry Study Group and representatives from 16 countries announcing the formation of Thema, a new global standard to categorize and classify book content by subject. 

The new standard is flexible, allowing “each market to retain its unique cultural voice while still presenting a unified hierarchy that rationalizes book categorization,” organizers said. “The goal of Thema is to reduce confusion about subject codes for both upstream and downstream trading partners in order to facilitate the sale of more books.”

Meanwhile, BookShout!, a social e-reading platform developed during the past two years for the Christian market, announced what it called “revolutionary technology” that will allow users to legally import and aggregate all of their previous and future digital book purchases from any source, including Kindle and Nook, at no cost. 

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has represented Christian publishers at the event for more than 25 years through the Christian Collective exhibit. 

“Frankfurt continues to be one of the most important shows for rights marketing,” said Cindy Riggins of Riggins International Rights Services. “Relationships are very important in rights sales, so these in-person meetings are critical to a successful rights program.”  

Riggins met with 65 international publishers and saw increased interest in fiction and youth fantasy fiction among European rights buyers. 

“Our re-launch of best-selling [authors] Brock and Bodie Thoene’s works for the international market was well-received,” she said. “Film tie-ins October Baby and Unconditional were popular from B&H Publishing Group. Abingdon Press and New Hope Publishers’ contemporary fiction titles that also address social issues were frequently requested, too.  

“After years of promoting youth fantasy fiction from category leader AMG Publishers/Living Ink, it appears now is the time that international publishers are finally looking seriously at this growing area,” added Riggins, who along with fellow rights agent Fred Rudy represented nearly 20 publishers of the Christian Collective. “In the nonfiction category, the most requested titles outside of Christian Living were on marriage, family and personal growth from a biblical perspective.” 

Representatives from 10 other Christian publishers, including Zondervan, David C Cook, Tyndale House Publishers, Baker Publishing Group, Harvest House Publishers and Crossway met with international rights buyers.  

“The show was a wonderful success for us, and it may have been our busiest ever,” said Jim Elwell, director of international publishing at Tyndale House. “We had many quality meetings and lots of opportunities coming out of our time. Having ECPA handle this service for us enables us to focus on the business we are handling rather than the logistics.” 

ECPA manages the business arrangements on behalf of the publishers. 

“By establishing the Christian Collective at both the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs each year, ECPA provides a collaborative presence for Christian content, while providing member publishers a professional, convenient booth and meeting space,” said ECPA President and CEO Mark Kuyper.

Nominating the top books, Bibles, gifts, music, DVDs and more

Christian Retailing is restyling its award honoring what are deemed to be the best products in the Christian market. Formerly known as the Retailers Choice Awards, this year’s awards program has been rebranded as “Christian Retailing’s Best.”

Introduced in 2001, Christian Retailing’s awards have been increasingly acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant new, life-changing products in the industry.

NOMINATION DEADLINE

Suppliers are asked to enter what they consider to be their best releases of the prior year in more than 50 categories of books, Bibles, gifts, music, DVDs and more. The nomination period runs Jan. 2, 2013, to Feb. 15, 2013, but if products are entered by Jan. 25, companies will save with the Early Bird option (for every five paid nominations, get one free).

This year’s nomination fee is raised slightly to just $60 per item entered, but suppliers will save as they are no longer required to supply their physical products.

The 2013 winners will be announced in June at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis.

MORE CATEGORIES

A number of new categories have been added, including Games/Toys and Seasonal/Holiday gifts and Fiction: Amish and Fiction: Biblical books. The youth book category has been split into two, Young Adult Fiction and Young Adult Nonfiction.

OFFICIAL RULES

Products nominated for the 2013 awards must have been published or newly on sale in stores in 2012, with the exception of nominations in the Backlist category. 

Nominations must include clear Christian content, message or worldview. In the Gift category, “inspirational” items not specifically Christian will be considered, although those contrary to orthodox Christianity will not be included. Entry fees for products not accepted will be refunded.

Nomination fee is $60 per item. Those nominating (authors, public relations firms, publishers and other suppliers) may take advantage of the Early Bird discount. 

Each nomination is to be entered in one category only. All Spanish-language products are to be entered in the Spanish category. All audio products (books, Bibles, drama) are to be entered under Audio. 

We reserve the right to revise or eliminate categories. If less than five products are entered in one category, suppliers will be contacted to move their products and the category will be closed.

New this year: Along with Christian retailers, others who work in the industry are invited to vote, including authors, publishers, literary agents, gift company employees and book packagers. Voting is not open to the general public. Nominating companies shall not canvass for votes.

Voting will take place using an online ballot. Products are to be judged on their impact, including their ability to speak to people’s hearts and evoke emotion; open people’s minds to new ways of thinking; and encourage and affirm Christ-like living.  

Results will be verified by an independent firm of certified public accountants.

For more information, e-mail Christian Retailing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Third annual effort to 'celebrate Christian retail' focused on providing hunger relief among American children 

Christian retailers reported good sales and positive feedback for CBA's third annual Christian Store Week (CSW), which ran Sept. 28 through Oct. 8.

Tammy Horvath, CBA member relationship specialist, said she has received numerous calls from participating retailers indicating positive gains for the first weekend of the promotion.

More than 400 Christian stores nationwide—including 134 independent retailers and the Family Christian Stores chain—partnered with World Vision to raise awareness of the need for hunger relief among American children as part of CSW, an effort to spotlight Christian bookstores and drive traffic, CBA said.

Bill Ballou, owner and manager of The Solid Rock in Kearney, Neb., told Christian Retailing that overall sales were up by a small percentage from last year's CSW.

“This is primarily due to the Saturday [Sept. 29] special sale of 'Spend More-Save More,” which we did not have last year,” said Ballou, noting his store sent 7,500 emails with the CSW brochure and alerted 1,000 Facebook contacts. “The Saturday sales were about a 25% increase over last year for same-day sales.”

Ballou emphasized a different section of his store for each day of CSW, while offering a drawing for prizes if customers spent $50-plus and brought in canned goods. “The major response was in the goodwill created by having different sales categories for each day—a something-for-everyone idea,” he said. “We will keep tweaking it for next year.”

Kelly Harding, bookstore manager at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Mo., said sales “have been up just a little” from last year's CSW.

“It's better this year because instead of just offering a sale, we are hosting events,” said Harding, noting the store partnered with a local church for a food drive tied to customers' canned goods donations. “Every year we seem to step up a little more and find new ways to celebrate this event. ... We took advantage of the marketing tools that CBA provided, such as the press release and printable flyers.”

CLC Bookcenter in Northfield, N.J., hosted a family fun dayon Oct. 6 as part CSW, collecting more than 300 pounds of food and $200 dollars in donations for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. The fun day, which included live music, face painting and cotton candy, collected enough food for more than 600 meals.

David Gullion, who ran and owned bookstores for more than 45 years, died in September

Independent Christian retailer David Gullion, who ran and owned bookstores for more than 45 years, died from a heart condition Sept. 15 at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 71.

Gullion’s son, Dwight Gullion—president and co-owner of Gullion’s Christian Supply Center, which has three locations in the Winston-Salem area—told Christian Retailing that his father managed and then owned Hazard Christian Supply in Hazard, Ky., from 1967 to 1981. He said it was the first Christian bookstore in the Appalachian region.

After Gullion changed its name to Dwight’s Bible Shop in the mid-70s, he started two additional Christian bookstores in Whitesburg, Ky., and Neon, Ky. He also ran a bookstore for the Evangelical Free Church in Hazard from 1966 to 1968. In 1983, Gullion sold the business and moved his family to Martinsville, Va., where he served as a basketball coach, teacher and principal at a Christian school.

Moving to Winston-Salem in 1989, Gullion and his son, Dwight, co-founded Gullion’s Christian Supply Center in Winston-Salem in 1992. The store eventually grew to four locations by 2002, but consolidated to three stores in Winston-Salem, Statesville and Mt. Airy, N.C. Gullion managed the Statesville location from 1998 until his death.

“Everything he did was ministry,” Dwight said. “He spent 45 years in ministry as a missionary, teacher, pastor, coach and Christian bookstore owner, influencing tens of thousands of people for God. His life’s theme was 'Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.' ”

Gullion is survived by his wife, Loretta, three sons and several grandchildren.

Award-winning author's 'devotion to her craft were evident to those who knew her'

Fiction author Julie L. Cannon died unexpectedly in her sleep Oct. 9. A resident of Watkinsville, Ga., Cannon turned 50 the previous week.

Earlier this year, Abingdon Press published her most recent novel, Twang, the story of a young woman who moves to Nashville aiming to become a country music star.

“I am devastated by Julie’s death, and I’m honored that a book she loved so much is in my care,” said Abingdon Press Fiction Editor Ramona Richards. “I had a blast squiring her around Nashville as she did research for Twang, and I will miss her more than I can say.”

Abingdon Press recently signed Cannon for “the book of her heart,” titled Scarlett Says, to be published October 2013. The book's main character, Joan, is a young woman who writes a popular blog, offering advice based on the words of Gone With the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara.

“We are stunned and saddened to learn of Julie’s death,” said Pamela Clements, associate publisher of Abingdon Fiction. “We are proud that she trusted Abingdon Fiction with her work. She will be missed.”

On Cannon's Facebook page, she said her personal mission was “to entertain telling stories about that universal theme—redemption.”

A native of Tennessee who was raised in Athens, Ga., Cannon earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. She broke into fiction writing in 1998 when she won a contest sponsored by Hill Street Press, which published her first book, True Love & Homegrown Tomatoes, in 2001. Part of her award-winning “Homegrown Series,” described as “Southern Fried Soul Food,” the book was named by Good Housekeeping as one of “20 Books to Tote on Vacation.”

Simon & Schuster then purchased the paperback rights to her debut book prior to publishing her next two novels, Those Pearly Gates (Touchstone) and Mater Biscuit (Center Point). Summerside Press published her novel I'll Be Home for Christmas in 2010.

Literary agent Chip MacGregor noted on his blog that “our industry lost a really good storyteller.”

“Julie was a fine writer who had become close friends with her agent, Sandra Bishop—they shared a birthday,” he said. “Julie’s gentle wisdom, her great sense of humor and her devotion to her craft were evident to those who knew her.

“She and her writing friends, the 'Dixie Divas,' made several appearances together, and they were always fun,” MacGregor added. “We were all expecting her to bust out with Twang.”

When she was a senior at the University of Georgia in 1984, Cannon had a brush with death when she suffered a brain injury from a bike accident. Cannon is survived by her husband, Tom, and their three children.

FaithWords, the Christian division of Hachette Book Group, has entered into a publishing partnership with Casa Creación, the Spanish-language imprint of Charisma House, Charisma Media’s book division, to broaden the reach of its authors. Hachette will handle the U.S. Spanish market, while Casa’s focus will be the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.

In talks since July’s International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla., the two publishers signed an agreement this month to work together. FaithWords will select key books for Casa to translate and promote, an arrangement that should aid FaithWords in reaching the “grass-roots” readers in the international Spanish market, said Tessie DeVore, executive vice president at Charisma Media.

“We are thrilled about this new partnership with Casa Creación, which will help us more effectively reach a growing Spanish-language audience,” said Rolf Zettersten, Hachette Nashville publisher. 

A key element of the partnership is in the “strategic thinking of which titles should be released and when,” DeVore said.

“This is critical in a very positive way for the Joyce Meyer brand, the Joel Osteen brand, John C. Maxwell and a few others because this is going to help expand the already huge platform they have among Spanish-speaking people,” she added. “This partnership will help to solidify them in the Spanish market and make sure their message reaches every corner.”

Luis Fernandez, consultant to Casa Creación, also sees the agreement as “a strategic partnership for Casa in the opportunity that it has right at this moment to take this product into Latin America and into Puerto Rico.”

Under the agreement, titles that will release in January include Yo declaro (I Declare) and Lecturas diarias tomadas de Cada día es Viernes (Daily Readings From Every Day A Friday) by Osteen; and Las 15 leyes indispensables del crecimiento (The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth) by Maxwell. In April, Meyer’s Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits is expected to release in Spanish.

Casa Creación’s best-selling books include the Spanish editions of Choo Thomas’ Heaven Is So Real!, Osteen’s Your Best Life Now and Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger.