Christian retailers did not see a bump in business from the back-to-school sales tax holiday. Several retailers told Christian Retailing that business declined compared to the same period from last year's holiday, despite customers not having to pay sales tax on school-related purchases.

"We were down this year from last year's holiday by 8%," said Danny Vera, owner of Christ Centered Life Store in Fort Myers, Fla. "Our sales, though, were up from previous summer weekends by 20%."

Along with Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia held tax holidays during the Aug. 3-4 weekend, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators.

"I was glad our sales were up from previous weekends," said Vera, noting that he downsized his store by 30% last September. "It is hard to say that I am disappointed. It is hard to compare year-to-year with a smaller store and less inventory."

Christ Centered didn't charge sales tax on T-shirts, caps, belts, ties, scarves, purses, wraps, school supplies and computer accessories during the holiday. T-shirts sold well during that period.

"It seems that some young people want to make a statement at their schools," Vera said.

DeLayna Wilkerson, owner of The Salt Cellar in Lawton, Okla., said her store's sales were "actually down" in apparel from last year's tax holiday.

"I am not sure why, but I do know that more people in the area have been watching what they spend," she said. "I know if we had a larger selection of apparel, we would have probably had a better outcome. But our year as a whole has been down, and it's hard to supply products when you have to spread funding throughout the entire store."

Chuck Wallington, owner of Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C., said there was "no measurable difference" in terms of sales during the tax holiday.

"The sales tax holiday seemed to make a difference the first year or two, four to five years back, but it really doesn't affect us much anymore," he said.

Alpha USA has released the first U.S. edition of Nicky Gumbel's Questions of Life, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to get this book out to the U.S. market," said Alpha USA Executive Director Gerard Long. "Alpha USA was not in existence when Questions of Life originally hit the market and now that 3 million Americans have taken the Alpha Course, we know this book will continue to help people answer some of their most daunting questions in their darkest moments."

Available to Christian retailers through Send The Light Distribution, the book draws its content from the Alpha Course, a discipleship program attended by 22.5 million people worldwide since it began at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London in the late 1970s.

Originally released in 1993, Questions of Life has been awarded a Platinum award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for sales of more than 1 million units. Released last month in the U.S., the revised book includes a new cover and a foreword by Long. In addition, extra Alpha materials have been incorporated.

Gumbel is the senior pastor of Holy Trinity, the largest church in London with 4,000 members.

For more information, visit www.qoflbook.com.

Joel Osteen's I Declare (FaithWords) has passed the 1 million mark in sales—less than 10 months after its publication in hardcover, e-book and audiobook. Released Sept. 18 in hardcover, the book was published in paperback Aug. 6.

"We knew I Declare was a special book from the beginning," said Rolf Zettersten, senior vice president and publisher of Hachette Nashville, FaithWords' parent. "We were confident it would sell a million copies, but it exceeded our expectations by doing so in less than 10 months."

Divided into 31 segments, I Declare defines the blessings in Scripture and encourages readers to declare one each day for a month in the areas of health, family legacy, decisions, finances, thoughts, outlook and overcoming obstacles.

Osteen's latest book, Break Out!, will be released Oct. 1 by FaithWords. The new book encourages readers to have a new perspective, let nothing hold them back and reject labels that might limit them.

In 2004, FaithWords published Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now, which spent more than two years on the New York Times best-seller list. Hachette has sold more than 9 million copies of Osteen's books to date.

The Christian product industry is getting behind the new movie Grace Unplugged, slated for theatrical release Oct. 4.

The movie tells the story of an 18-year-old Christian singer/songwriter Grace Trey (Amanda "A.J." Michalka), who sings each Sunday at her church. After landing a record deal in Los Angeles, she cuts off contact with her parents and seems prepared to walk away from her faith.

B&H Publishing Group will release a pair of books Sept. 1: Grace Unplugged, a novelization written by Melody Carlson; and Own It, in which husband-and-wife authors Michael and Hayley DiMarco challenge readers to begin developing a belief in God that is truly their own—mirroring the journey of the movie's title character.

"I'm hoping we prompt a lot of dialogue between families, that this movie is a conversation starter," said writer/director Brad J. Silverman, who consulted on the books. "At the end of the day, I don't miss the fact that this is entertainment. But when the movie is over, and the audience reflects on what they've seen, I want Christians to say, 'Wow. I love God.' "

In addition, Music From the Motion Picture: Grace Unplugged (Sparrow Records/Capitol Christian Distribution) is being released Aug. 27, featuring songs from Michalka, Jamie Grace (who also stars in the movie), TobyMac, Colton Dixon and Chris Tomlin.

Rated PG for thematic elements and brief teen drinking, the movie is from Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions and LifeWay Films.

For more information, visit www.graceunplugged.com.

Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae is starring in Believe Me, a feature film from Riot Studios that has begun shooting. In the movie, Alex Russell (Chronicle) plays a college student-turned-con artist who hopes to profit from naive churchgoers, The Hollywood Reporter said.

"Guess I'm gettin Hollywood," Lecrae wrote in a Facebook post this week.

Several of his fans posted to encourage him, including one who said, "Stay humble Lecrae and keep God first. Change Hollywood, don't let them change you."

No release date has been announced for Believe Me, described by The Hollywood Reporter as a "feel-good comedy." The film also stars Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), Johanna Braddy (Easy A) and Max Adler (Glee).

The film is being directed and co-written by Will Bakke, who also helmed the documentary, Beware of Christians, which followed four Christian college students as they travel across Europe to interview people about the relevance of Christianity in today's world. Texas-based Riot was founded in 2010 by Bakke, Alex Carroll and Michael Allen.

Earlier this year, Lecrae won a GRAMMY for Gravity (Reach Records/Infinity Music Distribution) in the Best Gospel Album category.

A Message From God: Revised Edition by Retha and Aldo McPherson (Destiny Image) was to be ranked No. 15 on the New York Times E-Book Nonfiction best-seller list for the week of Aug. 11.

First published in paperback in 2008, the revised version—subtitled "The True Story of a Youth's Experience in Heaven"—tells of the near-death experiences of 12-year-old Aldo, the McPhersons' son, who fell into a coma after a car accident.

"Aldo's true-life story and his experience in heaven offer us an amazing glimpse into the reality of heaven and the incredible truth of God's love for us," said Ronda Ranalli, head of acquisitions for Destiny Image. "There can be no doubt that God has touched this young man, and his life is living proof."

Howard Books' Duck Commander titles took two high-ranking spots on the CBA Top 50 best-sellers list for the week ending Aug. 3, according to CBA's CROSS:SCAN sales data.

The top five CBA best-sellers were: 1. Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 2. Jesus Calling, Young, large print deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 3. Happy, Happy, Happy, Phil Robertson (Howard Books); 4. Heaven Is for Real, Todd Burpo, Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson); and 5. The Duck Commander Family, Willie and Korie Robertson (Howard Books).

CBA also released the top five Fiction best-sellers, which were: 1. The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine/Charisma House Book Group); 2. Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers (Multnomah Books); 3. A Vow for Always, Wanda E. Brunstetter (Barbour Publishing); 4. The Guardian, "Home to Hickory Hollow" No. 3, Beverly Lewis (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); and 5. Sovereign, "Books of Mortals" No. 3, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee (FaithWords).