Publishers are looking to feed the growing appetite for Christian fiction with some additional takeaway value. Several new and recently released books feature recipes that allow readers to literally chew over what they have read.

Among the authors serving up the extras is best-selling Amish drama writer Wanda E. Brunstetter, who recently completed a taste-test book tour in support of White Christmas Pie—released in September by Barbour Publishing.

During Brunstetter’s tour, Christian bookstore employees made homemade samples of the dish of the title, which included instructions on how to make the dessert.

Others offering culinary bonuses include Eva Marie Everson and Linda Evans Shepherd’s whose “The Potluck Catering Club” series from Revell/Baker Publishing Group debuted in September with The Secret’s in the Sauce, featuring six friends from the earlier series “The Potluck Club” who start a catering business in a small Colorado town. Everson and Shepherd said the food focus of the book has provided many opportunities to connect with hungry readers in local book clubs.

The authors said the typical book club meeting consists of preparing a food featured in the book with discussions on how they prepared the meal. “Potluck Catering Club” readers also connect and share recipes on a promotional Web site for the book series.

Also released the same month as The Secret’s in the Sauce was debut novelist Beth Wiseman’s Plain Perfect (Thomas Nelson), pairing Amish cuisine with an Amish storyline. She has posted recipes featured in the book on her Web site.

Read the full report in the Jan. 5, 2009, issue of Christian Retailing.

• Prev
• Next