With interest in the afterlife showing no signs of dying, publishers with best-selling titles on the topic are prepping follow-up releases.

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey (Revell/Baker Publishing Group) and Bill Weise's 23 Minutes in Hell (Charisma House/Strang Book Group) have lingered on the best-seller charts since their releases in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

In May, Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group will bring out Ken Gire's Flight to Heaven, an account of Capt. Dale Black's near-death experience in a plane crash at age 19.

Bethany House will then follow with the August release of Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife by James Garlow and Keith Wall, a collection of stories of the afterlife inspired by the pair's 2009 Bethany House release, Heaven and the Afterlife.

Featuring Piper leading video discussions on the afterlife, 90 Minutes in Heaven: Seeing Life's Troubles in a Whole New Light was recently released as a seven-week video Bible-study series by Worthy Resources, part of Worthy Media.

Revell is also planning a new gift edition of the book in softcover, with additional stories that Piper has gathered as he's spoken to people around the country.

Wiese's 23 Minutes in Hell spawned Hell: Separate Truth From Fiction and Get Your Toughest Questions Answered (Charisma House/Strang Book Group)--released in 2008. The publisher also plans to release 23 Questions About Hell this summer.

Read the complete report in the April issue of Christian Retailing.

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