As usual, some great things have been happening this month at WordServe Literary!
On the final post of each month, you’ll find a list of Water Cooler contributors’ recently released books along with a recap of WordServe client news.
New Releases
The Mass Market Release of the 2-in-1 Collection of Courting Her Secret Heart by Mary Davis, and His Amish Choice by Leigh Bale, from Love Inspired, releases August 9, 2019.
Courting Her Secret Heart by Mary Davis
Deborah Miller lives a double life as an Amish woman—and a fashion model! All photography is forbidden in her Plain community, so she must keep her job a secret. But when Amos Burkholder starts helping at her family’s farm, hiding the truth from him is impossible. And soon she must choose between the Englischer world of modeling and the Amish man she’s come to love.
Congratulations to Walt Larimore, Philip Bishop, and Harvest House for the release of Fit Over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You.
Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss Advice You Can Trust
To stay fit over 50, you don’t need to be an expert on health. You need essential, practical, and accurate information from people who are experts. Doctors Walt Larimore and Phillip Bishop want to give you truthful and trustworthy advice to help you separate fact from wishful thinking and to identify misconceptions when you see them.
Take control of your overall well-being with tips to help improve your health in four key areas:
- Physical — learn proven principles for effective weight loss, exercise, and nutrition
- Emotional — keep your mind sharp and better manage your emotions
- Relational — stay connected to others and build a stronger sense of community
- Spiritual — improve your relationship with God
When you apply these easy-to-follow and scientifically sound strategies, you’re more likely to reap the many benefits of living well and staying healthy.
Just in time for back to school…Dr. Amen’s book, Change Your Brain Change Your Grades releases September 17, 2019.
A breakthrough approach to optimize your brain, change your habits, and succeed in school, from a renowned neuroscientist and bestselling author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Do you feel like you should be getting better grades? Are you spending more time studying than the A students in your class but not getting the same results? Are you heading back to school after a long break and need a refresher to get more done in less time?
With schools becoming more competitive and technology becoming increasingly distracting, today’s students face a minefield of obstacles to academic success. Doing well in school isn’t just a matter of smarts or more studying: It takes good habits, practical tools—and a healthy brain.
Brain health pioneer Dr. Daniel Amen knows what it takes to get the brain ready to succeed. Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades draws on Dr. Amen’s experience as a neuroscientist and psychiatrist as well as the latest brain science to help you study more effectively, learn faster, and stay focused so you can achieve your academic goals. This practical guide will help you:
Discover your unique brain type and learning style
Kick bad habits and adopt smarter study practices
Get more out of your classes with less overall study time
Memorize faster and remember things longer
Increase your confidence and beat stress
For underachievers, stressed-out studiers, and students from middle school to college and beyond, Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades gives you the knowledge and tools you need to get the best out of yourself.
Congratulations to Steve Arterburn and Marcus Brotherton with Illustrations by Damian Zain for the September 3 release of Kirby McCook and the Jesus Chronicles.
It’s like Captain Underpants meets the Bible, only reverent!
What happens when a room full of kids find themselves without a junior-church teacher? They choose one of their own crowd to take her place, of course! Twelve-year-old Kirby McCook, mentored by his grandfather, leads his rambunctious friends through the Bible in this creative and fun Bible storybook. Bible stories laced with middle-grade humor help teach kids that Jesus has been part of the story from the beginning and can be found throughout the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation.
Releasing Spetember 3, 2019, An Amish Christmas Kitchen: Three Novellas Celebrating the Warmth of the Season by Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd.
As the weather grows cold and the nights grow long, the cheer and warmth of the Christmas season is one thing all readers can find comfort in. This collection from bestselling Amish fiction novelists Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd finds the beating heart at the center of the holiday and offers three novellas that celebrate family, faith, and especially the sights and smells of a bustling holiday kitchen.
Leslie Gould tells the story of how, in the wake of a heartbreaking loss, a young Amish woman finds unexpected comfort and hope in a yearly baking tradition surrounding the local Lancaster Christmas market. Jan Drexler offers a sweet tale of a shy Amish woman who decides to use her gift for sweets to woo a local Amish boy with her beloved Christmas cookies. And Kate Lloyd offers a heartwarming tale of a woman’s unexpected discovery about the truth of her past, and the warm and welcoming Amish family table she finds herself invited to on Christmas.
New Clients
Holly Stallcup, Dr. Anthony Brooks, and James Pence signed with WordServe in August. Welcome!
Contracts
Ron Hutchcraft signed with Harvest House for Hope When Your Heart is Breaking, due to release January 2021.
Sarah Varland signed a four-book deal with Harlequin Books with release dates beginning in the fall of 2020.
Jana Voight signed with Mountain Brook Ink for a four-book deal, Montana Treasures, with release dates beginning in Summer 2020.
Melissa K. Norris signed with Harvest House for The Family Garden Planner due to release late Summer 2020.
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to Jamie Sumner for her Starred Review with Publisher’s Weekly for Roll with It.
Check out the full review: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-5344-4255-9
Headstrong 12-year-old Lily “Ellie” Cowan loves to bake. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, Ellie heads to the kitchen when she gets frustrated with her overprotective mom, her hovering full-time aide, and her absent father. After Ellie’s grandfather, who has dementia, drives his car into the local supermarket, Ellie and her mom pack up their Nashville home and move into her grandparents’ tiny trailer in Eufaula, Okla. Soon, Ellie meets free-spirited neighbor Coralee and eccentric schoolmate Bert; their acceptance helps her to cope with her new school, which is far from wheelchair-friendly. Drawing on her own experiences with her son, who has cerebral palsy, debut author Sumner doesn’t sugarcoat Ellie’s daily challenges—social, emotional, and physical—including navigating showers and crowded classrooms. Sumner also makes it clear that Ellie is a regular kid who dreams of becoming a chef, which is conveyed partly through letters that Ellie writes to various culinary experts throughout the book. In addition, Sumner deftly explores universal difficulties of fitting in and following one’s passions. Ellie is easy to champion, and her story reminds readers that life’s burdens are always lighter with friends and family—and a good piece of pie—at the ready. Ages 10–up. Agent: Keely Boeving, WordServe Literary. (Oct.)
Congratulations to Linda Thompson for becoming an American Christian Fiction Writers’ Carol Award finalist in the Debut Category for The Plum Blooms in Winter (Mountain Brook Ink, editors Beth Jusino and Jenny Mertes).
WordServe Water Cooler 
Thanks for these great read suggestions!