Dee Henderson's Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story, the first title in the "O'Malley" series (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group), debuted at No. 5 on the Fiction best-sellers from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), tracking sales for the week ending April 20, according to Pubtrack Christian data. The novel was released May 1.

The Top 20 General best-sellers were: 1. Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 2. Heaven Is for Real, Todd Burpo (Thomas Nelson); 3. Daily Devotions for Women, Jewell Johnson (Barbour Publishing); 4. Jesus Calling, Young, deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 5. Daily Wisdom for Women (Barbour Publishing); 6. Jesus Calling, Young, women's edition (Thomas Nelson); 7. The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman (Northfield Publishing/Moody Publishers); 8. Jesus Calling, Young, large print deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 9. The Guardian, "Home to Hickory Hollow" No. 3, Lewis (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); 10. The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine/Charisma House Book Group); 11. Starting Point, Andy Stanley (Zondervan); 12. Jesus Today, Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 13. Changes That Heal, Henry Cloud (Zondervan); 14. Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits, Joyce Meyer (FaithWords); 15. Every Body Matters, Gary Thomas (Zondervan); 16. Pursued, Jud Wilhite (FaithWords); 17. Unglued, Lysa TerKeurst (Zondervan); 18. One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp (Zondervan); 19. Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman (Zondervan); and 20. Follow Me, David Platt (Tyndale House Publishers).

The Top 10 Fiction best-sellers were: 1. The Guardian; 2. The Harbinger; 3. When Jesus Wept, "The Jerusalem Chronicles" No. 1, Bodie and Brock Thoene (Zondervan); 4. Damascus Countdown, "The Twelfth Imam" No. 3, Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale); 5. Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story; 6. The Chance, Karen Kingsbury (Howard Books); 7. The Winnowing Season, "Amish Vines and Orchards" No. 2, Cindy Woodsmall (WaterBrook Press); 8. Truth-Stained Lies, "Moonlighter" No. 1, Terri Blackstock (Zondervan); 9. Home Run, Travis Thrasher (David C Cook); and 10. Cross Roads, William P. Young (FaithWords).

The top five Bibles were: 1. The Story, NIV, deluxe, hardcover, New International Version (Zondervan); 2. NIV Church Bible, navy, hardcover (Zondervan); 3. NLT God Sightings, softcover, New Living Translation (Tyndale); 4. NIV Life Application Study Bible, hardcover (Zondervan); and 5. NIV Celebrate Recovery Bible, softcover (Zondervan).

Zondervan has launched a new book imprint to better reach young adults with compelling literature—and counter some of the negative themes in general market YA literature. The company is planning a six-figure marketing campaign to support the imprint.

From fantasy to romance and contemporary classics, Blink aims to appeal to teen readers and a growing audience of adult readers who are taking in general market literature such as "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" series.

Starting in August, the new imprint aims to "publish authentic and immersive content that engages and inspires readers with cutting-edge plotlines," a company statement read.

"While reports have young adults glued to their smartphones and devices for hours every day, ultimately they still love great stories," said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher at Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. "Blink will provide great content that reflects their attitudes and enhances their lives."

Some titles already in Zondervan's offerings are being transferred to the Blink imprint. Heather Burch's first title of the "Halflings" series was already published under Zondervan and now falls under Blink's purview. Book two of the series, Guardian, releases in September.

Some of the other Blink titles are Running Lean by Diana L. Sharples, a coming-of-age story releasing in August, and Remnants: Season of Wonder, the first in a dystopian series coming in October from popular CBA market author Lisa T. Bergren.

Blink authors and their titles will benefit from a dedicated marketing program that includes extensive social media outreach, advertising and sharing custom content across online and mobile media sources.

Learn more at www.blinkyabooks.com.

Retailers today are moving in one of two directions, focusing on technology and price or on experience and emotional engagement. CBA President Curtis Riskey spoke to Christian retailers Saturday evening at the STL (Send the Light) Spring Invitational, urging them to “pick a strategy and be excellent at it.”

Riskey also posed a key question to retailers. Observing that half of the world’s population is under age 30, he asked: “Is the average age of our customer under 30?”

Fixtures and foot traffic, store design and social media have all been part of the Send The Light (STL) Spring Invitational, but yesterday’s events were bookended by two powerful testimonies.

After partaking of a Southern-style buffet breakfast at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, Tenn., where STL is holding the April 25-28 event, Dusty Wells shared his salvation story. His life took a turn for the better when a couple showed up at his home inviting him to Sunday school—and snowmobiling. Wells—who now works in sales and marketing with Word Entertainment/Warner Music Group—has also always loved music, an interest God used to inspire and draw him into a deeper understanding of the gospel.

Raised by a mother who was married seven times in a home where he was taught to steal, Wells played his Southern gospel albums privately even as drug-and alcohol-laced parties were going on at his house.

Music was his respite and his teacher.

“It was permeating the depth of my heart,” he said.

Along his life journey, he eventually found himself working at a Christian retail store. The owner couldn’t pay much, but she gave him CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) magazines to read and 10 music demos a month.

When Billy Ray Hearn asked him to become a music rep, suggesting the job would involve sharing music with “a lot of hurting people,” Wells signed on, knowing in his own life the power of music to bring “great comfort.”

Wells said he prays daily for Christian retailers and assured them that “God still has great plans for our industry.”

The evening’s speaker, R.B. (Rob) Mitchell, also grew up in a dysfunctional environment. His story—told in the 2007 book Castaway Kid (Focus on the Family/Tyndale House Publishers)—mainly took place in a children’s home in Princeton, Ill.

Young Robbie’s father had shot himself, but had not succeeded in ending his life. Instead, for many years until he died, he was a “walking vegetable,” Mitchell said. His mother had her own emotional problems and abandoned Robbie to an orphanage, where he lived for 14 years.

Although there were some good influences there, including a caring Christian woman who prayed for each boy by name and led them in a regular Bible story time, Mitchell grew to resent God for the way his life had turned out. Headed to Bible camp as a teenager, he took an interest in a pastor’s daughter, who challenged him to investigate the Scriptures, through which he got to know the real Jesus, who was betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust. Choosing to follow Christ in his senior year of high school, Mitchell prayed a prayer on his own and eventually was able to forgive those who had hurt him so badly.
Sadly, his mother died a bag lady on the streets of Chicago, but Mitchell found stability in life despite his upbringing. Married for 33 years, he and his wife raised a loving family, and through the stock market, he became a multimillionaire.

Mitchell topped off the evening by sharing and signing his book, which has now been translated into several languages and has more than 100,000 copies in print.

Pat Summerall, famed NFL broadcaster and a Thomas Nelson author, died April 16 in Dallas of cardiac arrest. Summerall, who had been in a hospital after surgery for a broken hip, was 82, Associated Press (AP) reported.

For many sports fans in the 1960s through the 1990s, he was the voice of the NFL, starting with CBS' Sunday telecasts and later with Fox, famously paired for much of that time with John Madden. He also broadcast the PGA (Professional Golf Association), professional tennis and other sports in a network career that spanned 40 years.

"He was an extraordinary man and a wonderful father," his daughter, Susan Wiles, told the AP. "I know he will be greatly missed."

However, much of Summerall's life was characterized by alcoholism and abandonment of his family, Baptist Press (BP) reported. In 1992, Summerall's friends and family encouraged him to get professional help for his alcohol problems. Tom Brookshier, his former broadcast partner, read a letter from Summerall's daughter, Susan, during a staged intervention.

"I hadn't been there much for my kids, but Susan's letter made it clear that I'd hurt them even in my absence," Summerall wrote in his autobiography, Summerall: On and Off the Air, published by Nelson in 2006. "She recounted one incident after another. I was numb to most of it, sad to say. Yet, her final words made my knees buckle: 'Dad, the few times we've been out in public together recently, I've been ashamed we shared the same last name.' "

Summerall wept tears of regret and reluctantly agreed to enter rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic, where he found freedom from alcohol and became a Christian, BP reported.

"My thirst for alcohol was being replaced by a thirst for knowledge about faith and God," Summerall wrote in his memoir. "I began reading the Bible regularly at the treatment center, and it became a part of my daily routine. The more I read, the more I felt a void in my life that needed to be filled."

Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, preached Summerall's funeral at the church April 20, BP reported. Summerall is survived by his wife, Cheri, three children and 10 grandchildren.

Dave Hunt, an apologist, best-selling author, speaker and radio commentator, died April 5 with his wife, Ruth, at his side. He was 87.

Noted for his research on cults, the occult and New Age doctrines, which began creeping into the church during the 1980s, Hunt was renowned for his controversial 1985 best-seller, The Seduction of Christianity (Harvest House Publishers), which he co-authored with T.A. McMahon.

A prolific author of more than 40 books with at least 4 million copies sold, many translated into 50 languages, Hunt's other titles include Yoga and the Body of Christ (The Berean Call); A Woman Rides the Beast (Harvest House); and Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views (Multnomah Publishers). Hunt founded The Berean Call, an apologetics ministry, in 1992.

He also wrote two novels: The Mind Invaders (formerly The Archon Conspiracy, The Berean Call ) and Sanctuary of the Chosen (Harvest House). Additionally, Hunt wrote a children's book, The Money Tree (Harvest House), with his daughter Karen. His videos include Israel, Islam & Armageddon and A Woman Rides the Beast. Hunt also hosted two radio program, "Search the Scriptures Daily" and "According to God's Word."

"Dave's bold yet loving approach to discern and then deliver the truth is evident in everything he did," The Berean Call website said. "His love for Jesus, for Israel and for people in general was obvious to all. His enthusiasm for the truth, along with his anger over the sin and wickedness that he knew was robbing people of what God wanted for them, flamed his desire to share the Lord with anyone with whom he had contact."

Hunt is survived by his wife of 63 years. A private burial service was held, and Hunt will remembered during the summer Bible conference of The Berean Call Aug. 23-24 in Bend, Ore.

In a refocus on its core strengths, Standard Publishing Group is significantly refreshing its HeartShapers Sunday school curriculum.

A division of CFM Religion Publishing Group, the Cincinnati-based curriculum publisher is revising its HeartShapers toddler-to-preteen curriculum, the first major update in nearly seven years. The program has six age-appropriate levels with teacher guides and student materials. New fall curriculum releases July 1.

"We've conducted some research and through significant work with children's pastors, we've made the teacher guides much more user-friendly," said Stephanie Woeste, vice president of marketing. "We've completely updated the artwork in the books, primarily focused on the student books, and it's very exciting because we've used nationally recognized artists from books like National Geo Kids, Weekly Reader and things that folks recognize, so it has a contemporary look and feel."

One of the main components of the refreshed program is the special-needs-friendly curriculum.

"Every quarter we publish a free 15-page newsletter that has a couple components to it," Woeste said. "First of all, there's an inspirational component for leaders, but it's also a way to easily adapt the lessons within the HeartShapers age levels to help include children of special needs in our classrooms. So, it really focuses on what are the sensory difficulties that children with special needs may have and how to overcome those with the activities and the lessons."

Additionally, teachers were asking for an editable teacher guide so they could make each lesson their own, allowing churches to customize the lessons.

"We'll be offering downloadable teacher guides in Word format that they can then make their touches to and distribute to their volunteers," Woeste said.

Learn more about Standard Publishing in the upcoming June issue of Christian Retailing.