Todd and Tara Storch, with Jennifer Schuchmann, tell how they got involved in organ donation efforts after the tragic loss of their daughter Taylor in Taylor’s Gift: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope (978-0-800-72188-6, $21.99). The book releases in April 2013 from Revell/Baker Publishing Group.

Why have you decided to write your story of losing your 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, in a ski accident three years ago?

This was not easy to do. We have experienced a parent’s worst nightmare. But we had a choice (and yes, it is a choice) to accept the path that God put us on or crawl up in the grief and wallow in anger and sadness. We chose to find the good in this. We have had so many God-inspired moments in this tragic situation that we knew we had to share our story to help others. That is really all we want to do, to help others. Sharing our story helps give purpose to the pain. But, most importantly, we hope it will help others know that no matter what your circumstances, you can grab onto God’s hand and He will guide you—if you let Him.

In Children and the Supernatural: True Accounts of Kids Unlocking the Power of God Through Visions, Healing, and Miracles (Charisma House, May 2012), author Jennifer Toledo shows how God is working today through children, not just adults. She demonstrates through supernatural accounts that youngsters have experienced miracles, prophetic evangelism, powerful intercession and more. Toledo and husband Jonatán are founders and directors of the Global Children’s Movement and pastors at Expression58 in Los Angeles.

What drove you to get involved with children and then write this book?

Ten years ago, I had an experience while sitting in the dirt with some street kids in Africa, where I heard the Lord say, “Will you teach the next generation the undiluted gospel?” I could hear such desperation in His voice for a generation to truly know Him—on his terms, without unbelief, without religion, without “church culture.” Just undiluted gospel. That encounter rocked my world and set me on a course of helping to connect children with God. The stories in this book are some of the incredible fruit I’ve witnessed on the way.

Known for her Amish-themed fiction, best-selling author Wanda E. Brunstetter is helping children understand the simple life and morals of the Amish in her children's fiction. As the first of her "Double Trouble" series from Barbour Publishing, What a Pair! releases in June 2012.

Do you enjoy writing for children more than adults or vice-versa, or simply like both audiences?

Who buys your children’s books? What’s the demographic?

Parents and grandparents buy my children’s books for boys and girls ages 8-12 (some even younger, depending on their reading level). Based on the fan mail I’ve received, I’d say that the young readers are from all over the United States. I’ve even received some mail from children in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Mainstream thriller and Hollywood script writer Andrew Klavan’s young adult “Homelanders” series has been optioned for a movie, as the April 2009 hardcover debut title, The Last Thing I Remember, is released in softcover this month.

Are you concerned that some of the faith element may be lost in the film?
“You hope it will stay true to the original, especially the theme and the ideas, but you really don’t have a lot of power. ... Summit Entertainment made the “Twilight” books (into films) that had a definite undercurrent of faith and morality, and they kept that stuff in. There is always a danger with this in Hollywood.”

With a long and successful mainstream career, what brought you to Christian publishing?
“What brought me to Christian publishing was I became a Christian myself, which I hadn’t been. I was born and raised a Jew and lived many years as an agnostic, even an atheist for a while, so it was a very slow conversion. ... So when Thomas Nelson contacted me and asked me if I was interested in working in the young-adult (genre), I just loved that, and before they finished the sentence, I said, yes, I’m interested.”

How has writing for the Christian market been for you, as your mainstream work is known for being quite gritty?
?“Working in young-adult novels, the vision tends to be a little softer anyway. I don’t deal with the same kinds of subjects with young people that I deal with for adults. It’s just not the same market, so in that way I fit in. I do sometimes feel that there is a narrowness to the Christian market that can hurt storytelling, and I’ve worked very hard to keep my stories immensely exciting, very fast-moving.”

How has coming to faith changed your writing?
“This really surprises me more than anyone. ... One of my great fears as I was struggling with the issues of faith was I didn’t want to lose my sense of realism. You can’t tell stories about life if you don’t see life as it is, in my opinion. The funny thing is that I found that embracing faith has made my view much more realistic. ... I have found that by embracing Christianity has made my worldview much more realistic ... understanding people much deeper, on the one hand, and I think much more compassionate on the other, so I have been very happy with the work I have produced since my conversion. It really has been an absolute pleasant surprise.”

For an exclusive, extended audio interview, visit the Christian Retailing book blog at www.christianretailing.com.

Dr. Don Colbert, author of the best-selling “Bible Cure” health series, turns his attention to children with this month’s release of Eat This and Live! for Kids (Siloam/Strang Book Group).

What prompted this new book?

The skyrocketing rate of obesity and obesity-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes among children are reaching epidemic proportions. As a result, today’s kids are the first generation in American history who are expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. We’re releasing this book in an effort to educate parents.

A former DC Comics and Marvel Comics artist, Brazilian-born Sergio Cariello is the illustrator of The Action Bible, an updating of the David C. Cook's successful The Picture Bible, releasing this month.

How did you discover your love for drawing?

As a child I was fascinated by everything I saw--living things, inanimate objects, drawings,TV cartoons, comic books. I soon was drawing not only what I immediately was contemplating but also what my creative mind produced. At 5, I made up my mind: I told my parents I wanted to draw comics when I grew up.

When and how did you come to the U.S.?

Because my parents brought me up taking me to church and Sunday school, I learned about the Bible at a very young age. Even as I kept drawing and getting published, I had a strong desire to know God better. So I went to a Bible school to study God's word full time at age 16. But I never stopped drawing, and I dreamed of one day combining the truths of the Word with my ability to draw.

How did your career develop?

After I finished further Bible training in New York, I applied to an art school there and was accepted. I became a janitor in a church 40 miles away in order to attend. Later I entered the business as a letterer for Marvel. Soon I was fulfilling my dream of drawing comics for a living, working at home.

What was your greatest professional achievement prior to this Bible?

I was fortunate to be able to draw Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Wonder Woman and many iconic characters in comics, but one character who got me an Eisner nomination for best new series in 2007 was The Lone Ranger.

Which superhero character did you you most enjoying illustrating and why?

I love drawing Batman because it was not only a favorite of when I was a kid, but it was also in its comic where I learned about the school of cartoons I ended up attending  and where I later became an instructor.

What is it like to draw Jesus?

It's a great thrill combined with a great weight of responsibility. I imagine Jesus not as portrayed in most history books, with very delicate, angelic gestures, but someone strong, well built, ready to walk a few miles on foot and work hard as a carpenter, always ready for the task ahead of him--even the one that took His life for three days.

Which was the hardest Bible story to illustrate and why?

The battle scenes were the hardest ones because of all those people I had to draw (laugh).

Don't cartoons trivialize the Word of God?

Only if the ones behind the production don't have the respect and the seriousness of the content. No matter if the style is cartoony or different from one someone might be used to seeing, the key is the motivation behind it.

How do your illustrations differ from the original?

I have a great respect for the original work done by (Andre) Le Blanc. Mine differ in style, just by being a different artist with his own personal tastes. Maybe also in the dynamics introduced, where I tried to jazz it up and modernize it, adding more impact and action to it, hopefully implementing what I've learned in my career as an artist for so many different genres.