Blessings is opening a new store in Chilliwack, British Columbia, on Aug. 1. Led by Mark Hutchinson, the Canadian chain will then have four brick-and-mortar locations and an online store.

The new retail location is on the ground floor of the Blessings headquarters building with corporate offices on the upper floor along with the online retail operation.

A new version of the Bible in the Norwegian language is the nation's top-selling book for 2012, surpassing the erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey.

The new edition, Bibelen—Norwegian for Bible—was released in October 2011 by the Norwegian Bible Society (NBS), which replaced a 1978 edition. It has sold at least 160,000 copies in a nation of 5 million, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

For the updated version, NBS' editors used national authors and poets "to make the text sing and resonate for a new generation," AP reported. The editors also changed some of the language, describing Mary, Jesus' mother, as a "young woman" rather than a virgin.

"It's easier to read," Helga Haugland Byfuglien, presiding bishop for the official Lutheran Church of Norway, told the AP. "There is no over-interpretation of the text."

A marketing campaign also helped the updated Bible's profile in the European country, where the formerly official Church of Norway says only 1% of citizens regularly attend church. The new Bible is bound with pink or denim covers for teens and young adults, and with more sophisticated, literary-themed covers for older generations. NBS also "promoted the new translation like a pop fiction novel, stirring anticipation by giving out teasers of biblical stories before its release," AP reported.

The increased interest in the Scriptures even prompted production of a six-hour play titled Bibelen, which had a recent three-month run at one of Oslo's top theaters, drawing some 16,000 people.

Increased immigration to Norway has contributed to the popularity of the Bible, according to NBS Publishing Director Anne Veiteberg. More than 258,000 immigrants, including Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, have moved to the nation in the last six years, AP reported.

"Now that we're exposed to other faiths, Norwegians have become more interested in their own faith," Veiteberg said.

Four inspirational titles were among the winners of the Holt Medallion Awards, announced recently by the Virginia Romance Writers.

Irene Hannon won the Long Inspirational category for Lethal Legacy (Revell/Baker Publishing Group), the final novel in Hannon's "Guardians of Justice" series. Hannon previously won a Holt Medallion in the Short Inspirational category in 2008 for From This Day Forward (Steeple Hill).

Other 2013 Holt Medallion winners included Submerged by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) for Best First Book; An Amish Kitchen by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson) for Romance Novella; and Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig (Barbour Publishing) for Best Book by a Virginia Author.

Visit www.virginiaromancewriters.com for a complete list of winners.

Monkeez Makes a Difference, the educational charitable program for children from MVP Brands, recently presented a third round of donations of nearly $15,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society.

Donations are awarded to the three charities each quarter based on the choices children make when they select a charity to receive 10% of the wholesale cost of each product purchased. The first-of-its-kind program teaches kids the importance of philanthropy. With the support of families and independent retailers, Monkeez Makes a Difference has donated a total of more than $82,000 to the three charities since October 2012.

Cathedral Art Metal created an original line of bracelets to meet the needs of the Boston Marathon and Oklahoma tornado victims.

Based in Providence, R.I., the family-run company has a natural affinity to Boston, and has raised nearly $40,000 for The One Fund Boston, the official fund-raising agency, with the new bracelets.

Americans will spend slightly more on the most important men in their lives this Father's Day, Sunday, June 16.

“Never expecting more than a nice day out or a special family dinner, dads are usually easy to shop for,” said National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay. “From patio sets and grills to ties and gardening tools, retailers will offer specials and promotions in the coming days for families as they scour retailers’ websites and stores for something they know dad will love.”

Roman has made a strategic move with its showroom location at the Las Vegas Mart after five months of occupancy and a successful January show. The company is moving from what was a brand-new showroom in January to another new space on the ninth floor of building C.

“Roman was recently presented with an opportunity to move to a key location in the mart,” said Sally Murphy, Roman’s director of merchandising. “Our new suite, C-907, is located in a highly visible location adjacent to the escalators, allowing current and new customers to easily find Roman, Cottage Garden and Alexa’s Angels.”