From a debut novel to an American history lesson, several books from Christian publishers have been honored in ForeWord Reviews' 2011 Book of the Year Awards.

Words by Ginny Yttrup (B&H Books) won a gold award in the Adult Fiction: Religious category, while How Huge the Night by Heather Munn and Lydia Munn (Kregel Publications) took a bronze award.

Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? by John Fea (Westminster John Knox Press) won a gold award in the Adult Nonfiction: Religion category, while A Public Faith by Miroslav Volf (Brazos Press/Baker Publishing Group) garnered a silver award.

A panel of judges composed of librarians and booksellers named 209 winners in 54 categories for 2011, with the titles narrowed down from more than 700 publishers and 1,200 entries. The winners were announced at a ceremony June 23 during American Library Association's Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. ForeWord characterizes itself as a publication that "reviews good books independently published."

Click here for a complete list of the winners.

LifeWay Christian Resources (LCR) now provides a specifically tailored experience for users of mobile devices.

The LifeWay.com mobile-optimized site was designed "to help customers find the information they are looking for when, where and how they are looking for it," said Dave Thoma, director of eCommerce and LifeWay.com.

If users have their "location services" turned in their phones and click on the store locator option, the site will automatically display the closest LifeWay Christian Store to their location, company officials said. When people log in using their mobile devices, the site automatically displays the right-sized graphics and text.

Thoma said LCR had "great challenges" in creating the mobile device due to the diverse backgrounds of LifeWay's customer base. "Some customers know LifeWay only as a bookstore," he said. "But many church leaders know LifeWay as more of a church resource provider for Vacation Bible School, Sunday school curriculum and Bible studies, so LifeWay has a chorus of ministry voices and subject matter experts.

"We had to balance these two main audiences with the vast number of content articles and media-rich resources available on our full site and deliver a similar, excellent experience," he added.

Thoma said the mobile experience is a reflection of the full version of the LifeWay website, specifically built after studying customers' mobile patterns and preferences.

"User activity on smartphones differs substantially over PC or tablet usage as a result of the smaller screen size," he said. "We took this feedback and made it very easy for them to find articles and products on the mobile site."

To see LifeWay's mobile site, click here using your mobile device.

Capitalizing on the booming e-book market, Family Christian Stores (FCS) has released its own tablet Edifi is comparable, but a bit smaller—although same screen size—than Barnes & Noble's Nook Color and Nook Tablet and Amazon's Kindle Fire.

However, it is less expensive than some other e-readers at $149, according to the Christian retail chain. Edifi has less resolution and pixel density than Nook Color, Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire, though, and it comes with its own stand.

Available through FCS' website and its nearly 300 stores nationwide, edifi is pre-installed with family-friendly features and free apps, including Safe Search Wi-Fi Web browsing, 27 Bible translations and Christian Internet radio. With the e-reader, users can check e-mail, access social online networks, watch movies, display photos and download e-books with the FCS Reader app—which comes with edifi.

FCS officials could not be reached for comment about edifi, which was released June 15.

To Heaven and Back by Dr. Mary C. Neal, a book recently acquired by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group that has become a national word-of-mouth phenomenon since it was self-published in November 2011, will top the July 8 New York Times Advice & Miscellaneous Paperback best-seller list after being in the top five for three consecutive weeks.

The book is a firsthand account of the orthopedic spinal surgeon's death after a kayak accident in South America, visit to heaven and return to life.

On May 29, imprint WaterBrook Press released the e-book and the softcover edition with a first printing of 200,000 copies—based on initial orders from booksellers for more than 185,000 copies.

"We are thrilled to see To Heaven and Back climb up the New York Times best-seller list," said Steve Cobb, president and publisher of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. "When this book first came on our radar, we were confident that it would find an audience, and we're happy that within a few weeks of releasing our edition, more than 250,000 copies are in print."

Consumer demand for the book was spurred by strong national media interest in Dr. Neal's story. In recent weeks, she has appeared on FOX News Channel's Fox and Friends and America Live with Megyn Kelly. She was also a subject in Jay Leno's monologue on The Tonight Show, when he made a reference to Neal's book and the possibility of life after death for NBC.

The book has also received high rankings on the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists.

Several Christian publishers and companies in Colorado Springs, Colo., are rallying around wildfire victims devastated by the most destructive blaze in the state's history.

Since the Waldo Canyon Fire broke out Saturday, June 23, nearly 350 homes have burned to the ground, and it has cost $8.8 million to battle so far, Associated Press (AP) reported. About 7,000 people were allowed to return to their homes for good last night, which would leave about 3,000 still evacuated—down from more than 30,000 at the peak of the fire, AP reported. The fire, which has killed two people, is now 55% contained after a long week of shifting winds that frustrated firefighters.

The mandatory evacuation of The Navigators and NavPress building, which was closed June 23 by city officials due to the wildfire, has been lifted, but it will take a few days to restore utilities and clean up to allow occupancy, company officials said. The Navigators' Eagle Lake Camp is still under a mandatory evacuation.

"Thank you for your concern ... in light of the devastating wildfires that ravaged parts of Colorado Springs and the nearby mountains—including parts of our Eagle Lake Camp property," said a posting this weekend on NavPress' Facebook page. "While many of our losses will be covered by insurance, we anticipate uncovered needs among our staff and impacted facilities, including some whose homes have been lost. We have established a special fund to help us respond quickly to the needs created by this crisis. We trust fully in our God and His power to use these circumstances to help us advance the gospel as we press on to live and disciple among the lost."

David C Cook Senior Publicity Manager Lisa Beech told Christian Retailing that two Cook employees lost their homes and nine others were evacuated. "Right now, employees are rallying together, and Cook is collecting gift cards from employees and giving gift cards to those [displaced] employees," she said. "The community, in general, has overloaded the evacuation centers with food, water and other items for evacuees. We know that God is at work and bringing this city together in a very special way."

Meanwhile, Focus on the Family is co-sponsoring the Wildfire Relief Benefit Concert at World Arena in Colorado Springs on Independence Day, July 4, to support victims of the fire, and recognize and honor the firefighters and emergency response teams. Featuring the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, along with appearances by the Flying W Wranglers, Michael Martin Murphey and Flash Cadillac, the free concert will raise funds for fire relief efforts.

In a joint statement with John Weiss, publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent, Focus President and CEO Jim Daly said: "Fighting this fire, we are one community—together. ... We are united in reaching out to fire victims in their time of need and also honoring those risking their lives fighting this devastating tragedy."

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group President Steve Cobb said four staff members were evacuated from their homes. "One lives in the neighborhood most directly devastated by the fire," he said. "At this moment, it is believed that her house survived, but she does not yet know if it is inhabitable. ... Staff members have opened their homes for evacuees and their animals. It is a period of time where everyone has pitched in, as well as prayed a lot."

Rick Christian, founder of Alive Communications, said two employees and an intern at his literary agency were evacuated, but were allowed back in their homes. "Three of the four displaced families who were staying at our home in Colorado Springs were also allowed back in their homes and are fine," he said. "The fourth family had a home in the heavily devastated burn zone, but discovered their home is intact. Because they are surrounded by homes that burned to the ground, it will be a while yet until they are allowed back."

Dani Pettrey's Submerged, the first installment of the "Alaskan Courage Series" (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group), debuted at No. 10 on the Top 10 Fiction best-sellers list. The list from ECPA tracks sales for the week ending June 23, according to Pubtrack Christian data.

The Top 20 General best-sellers are: 1. Be a Better Dad Today!, Gregory W. Slayton (Regal Books); 2. Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 3. Jesus Calling, Young, large print deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 4. Heaven Is for Real, Todd Burpo (Thomas Nelson); 5. Crazy Love, Francis Chan (David C Cook); 6. The Necessity of an Enemy, Ron Carpenter (WaterBrook Press); 7. The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine/Charisma House Book Group); 8. Jesus Calling, Young, deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 9. Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman (Zondervan); 10. Implosion, Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House Publishers); 11. The Resolution for Men, Stephen Kendrick, Alex Kendrick, Randy Alcorn (B&H Books); 12. The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson (Zondervan); 13. The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman (Northfield Publishing); 14. One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp (Zondervan); 15. Battlefield of the Mind, Joyce Meyer (FaithWords); 16. Kingdom Man, Tony Evans (Tyndale House Publishers); 17. Nearing Home, Billy Graham (Thomas Nelson); 18. Boundaries, Henry Cloud, John Townsend (Zondervan); 19. Spirit Rising, Jim Cymbala (Zondervan); and 20. I Am Second, Dave Sterrett, Doug Bender (Thomas Nelson).

The Top 10 Fiction best-sellers are: 1. The Harbinger; 2. Loving, "Bailey Flanigan Series," No. 4, Karen Kingsbury (Zondervan); 3. The Fiddler, Beverly Lewis (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); 4. The Touch, Randall Wallace (Tyndale House Publishers); 5. Mortal, "Books of Mortals Series," No. 2, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee (Center Street); 6. Courageous, Randy Alcorn (Tyndale); 7. Longing, "Bailey Flanigan Series" No. 3, Kingsbury (Zondervan); 8. The Betrayal, "Precinct 11 Series," No. 2, Jerry B. Jenkins (Tyndale); 9. The First Gardener, Denise Hildreth Jones (Tyndale); and 10. Submerged.

The top five Bibles are: 1. The Story, hardcover, New International Version (Zondervan); 2. ESV Thinline Value Edition Bible, TruTone, chestnut, filigree design, English Standard Version (Crossway); 3. ESV Thinline Value Edition Bible, TruTone, midnight, flame design, English Standard Version (Crossway); 4. NIV Adventure Bible, hardcover, (Zonderkidz); and 5. NIV Adventure Bible, softcover, (Zonderkidz).

NavPress has donated more than $16,000 to One Women's Shelter, a ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) International Mission Board (IMB) that seeks to stop human trafficking.

The donation stems from a promotion through the sale of NavPress' A Daily Women's Devotional, in which pastors' wives and missionaries contributed six days worth of devotionals. The book was released in September 2011.

The pastors' wives and missionaries were able to purchase the devotional at a special price, and many of them are using the book to support other ministries such as women's groups and mission projects. As part of the project, $1 from each devotional sold went towards the fight against human trafficking.

During the SBC's annual meeting in New Orleans earlier this month, Barry Sneed, Donna Gaines, general editor of A Daily Women's Devotional; Marsha Pursley, executive vice president of direct publishing at NavPress; and a few of the devotional's authors presented an oversized check for $16,044 to IMB Executive Vice President Clyde Meador for One Women's Shelter.

"It is such a blessing for NavPress to aid people in other countries and to be the kind of publisher who steps up to help missions and causes around the globe," Pursley said. "We are proud to be a part of this organization and ministry."

The donations to support One Women's Shelter via A Daily Women's Devotional will continue, NavPress said.