Author: jgabrisch

Much has been happening this month at WordServe Literary . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.

New Releases

Congratulations to Tracie Miles  and David C Cook Publishing  on the March 1, 2022 release of Living Unbroken: A Divorce Recovery Workbook.

With discussion questions, journal prompts, prayers, Scripture verses, real-life stories, teaching videos, and a downloadable leader’s guide, the Living Unbroken Divorce Recovery Workbook is uniquely geared for women-only small groups. This interactive book creates a safe place for women to come together and process their heartbreak and questions. It empowers them to glean encouragement, build companionship, and find spiritual strength to reclaim their lives and happiness after divorce.

Women who know the pain of separation or divorce often feel alone, even in the church. This small group companion to Tracie Miles’s honest and groundbreaking book Living Unbroken invites women to take an important step on their journey to healing together.

Specifically created for groups of women only, The Living Unbroken Divorce Recovery Workbook offers:

• Access to 7 videos hosted by the author plus a downloadable leader’s guide
• Journal prompts, discussion questions, prayers, Scripture verses, and real-life inspirational stories to help hurting women find optimism
• Action steps such as “Happiness Prompters” and “Caring-for-You Reminders”

Written for the tens of thousands of Christian women who have experienced divorce and feel unseen, this powerful workbook reminds readers that their identity comes from Christ, not their marital status. Although it’s hard to imagine while overcome by pain, they can indeed discover joy, hope, and self-confidence again. 

Congratulations to Stephen Blandino  and The Core Media Group  on the March, 2022 release of Stop Chasing Easy.

Are you tired of chasing the empty promises of ease, comfort, and security? Are you ready to make your life count today…and for eternity? 

Everywhere you look, there is a constant enticement to pursue a life of ease. In fact, for many people, “Easy Street” has become their primary ambition in life. There’s only one problem: the apostle Paul warns us that, “Easy street is a dead-end street.” In the end, it leaves you feeling empty, and it deceives you into believing that the purpose of life is to avoid anything difficult. 

In Stop Chasing Easy, Stephen Blandino inspires us with a bigger vision beyond the edges of ease. He unpacks the apostle Paul’s wisdom in the book of Philippians and shares four powerful trade-offs that will help you make your life count. 

No matter where you find yourself, Stop Chasing Easy will inspire you to think differently, grow to your full potential, and pursue a mission worth your life. Rather than chasing easy, you’ll learn how to make your life count today…and for eternity. 

Congratulations to Andrew Farley  and Salem Book Publishing  on the March 8 , 2022 release of The Grace Message.

What Is God’s Grace—and What Does It Mean for You?

Grace. It’s a word we’ve heard since the very first step in our faith journey—but do we really believe in God’s grace?

Grace raises eyebrows. It begs questions. Grace turns everything upside down. The Grace Message invites you to discover the best flavor of Christianity and celebrate the good news of the Gospel to the fullest. Here, you’ll learn:

• how to abandon rule-based living and stop trying to measure up

• why your new identity in Jesus matters more than you can imagine

• how you can now enjoy God’s New Covenant way of grace

Bestselling author and radio host Andrew Farley’s no-nonsense straight talk will awaken you to a revolutionary perspective every healthy Christian should have.

Life is too short to miss out on God’s best—and what you don’t know can hinder you from experiencing Jesus in every area of your life. So if you’ve been weighed down by ruthless religion, or you’ve been searching for that high-octane version of the Gospel that you know must be out there somewhere, here it is. This thought-provoking book will challenge you to dismiss the lies you’ve believed and to make up your own mind about how big God’s grace really is.

“Andrew Farley shows why the good news is actually great news. This extraordinary, battle-tested message of hope and freedom has a proven track record of transforming lives. The Grace Message is bursting with truth. The love of God practically drips from its pages. Read it and see for yourself!” —Bart Millard, singer/songwriter for MercyMe

Congratulations to Jim Burns  and Zondervan Publishing  on the May 10 , 2022 release of Finding Joy in the Empty Nest.

When the kids are gone, you can discover a richer, deeper, and more fulfilling life than you ever imagined!

Whether you’ve been looking forward to it or dreading it, the experience of coming home to an empty nest brings with it a well of emotions, realizations, and one gigantic, all-consuming thought: Now what? As an empty nester, the options before you are practically limitless–a fact that can be as exciting as it is terrifying.

In this book, Jim Burns combines his personal experiences with extensive research, interviews with other empty nesters, and his professional work as a family educator to help you navigate your new life as an empty nester and find joy in the opportunities for life-change before you.

Rather than offering shallow suggestions of hobbies you should take up, Burns encourages you to actively pursue a fresh start, reinvent yourself, and thrive beyond this new stage. To help you do this, he equips you with practical advice and timeless principles, including how to:

• Change the relationship you once had with your children–for the better
• Face big issues (like aging parents, finances, and kids returning home) with confidence
• And rekindle your fire and purpose to live with passion day by day

Amid his wealth of know-how, you’ll uncover what may be the most important takeaway of all: hope that the best is yet to come.

Contracts

Kris Tarantino signed with Waterbrook Publishing for the March 2023 release of Be My Valentine.

Carolyn Leiloglou signed with Waterbrook Publishing for the January 2023 release of Beneath the Swirling Sky.

Grace Hamman signed with Zondervan for the  September 2023 release of The Many Faces of Jesus.

Melissa K. Norris signed with Harvest House Pubishers for the January 2024 release of Made-from-Scrath Life.

Sarah Frazer signed with B&H Publishing Group for the Summer/Fall 2023 release of When Your Story Shifts.

New Clients

 Alicia Kazsuk, Lisa Colon DeLay, Greg Munck, and Gregory Pratt recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

Who We’re Recognizing

  .It’s with a heavy heart that we announce what many have already heard. Steve Farrar, one of my clients since 1995, has passed away at the young age of 73 after compli-cations from a heart procedure.  I’ve been privileged to work with many wonderful men’s ministry leaders the last 30 years, but Steve was that rare combination of a great heart, incredible speaking gifts (humor and depth), a deep thinker, a great writer . . . and most importantly, a kind and compassionate man. He was the kind of man I always wanted to be. He was quick with a laugh, a prayer, an insight and a big bear hug. He was a giant of a man in things that mattered most. Finally, he was a good friend who will be profoundly missed not only by his wife Mary and his children and grandchildren, but also by the Kingdom.

Congratulations to Patricia Raybon for being selected for Stephen Curry’s Book Club which was announced in the Rush to Press recent weekly news.   Read the interesting article at  https://rushtopress.org/10150-2/

  “Tyndale is pleased to announce that Stephen Curry’s Literati book club, Underrated, which is committed to championing often overlooked authors and stories, has selected All That is Secret by Patricia Raybon as its March 2022 pick for readers. “

Why Socialize when You Can Read!

As usual, some great things have been happening this month at WordServe Literary!

New Releases

Congratulations to Anne Barbour and FaithHappenings Publishers on the December 5, 2021 release of Jesus Love to the End: A Devotional to Prepare Your Heart fo Easter.

Is your experience leading up to Easter one filled with anticipation? It can be!

Jesus Love to the End will help you saturate yourself in the story of Jesus’ final weeks up and through His death and resurrection. As you do that, you will find yourself deeply appreciating Jesus and His radical display of love. Whatever traditions and practices make up your preparation for Easter each year, the focus—the point of it all—is Jesus.”

Congratulations to Ed Norwood and Freiling Publishing on the August, 2021 release of Be A Giant Killer – Overcoming Your Everyday Goliaths.

SINCE THE DAY YOU WERE BORN, there have been giants in your life. Tyrants of immense size who try to exert negative influence over your destiny. Giants try to intimidate you into inaction and apathy. They want to convince you that your past mistakes, family tree, size, and shame will always hold you back. I, too, was born with giants. When I was eight years old, twenty-seven of my relatives were massacred by cult leader Jim Jones in the Jonestown Guyana Tragedy. The shame of my own family history shadowed my life until I discovered the lessons revealed in this book, a searing expose of how our history can influence our legacy.

We were made to break the cycle and, just like men and women in the Bible, fiercely face the giants in our lives before they get passed to the next generation.

Be A Giant Killer is a knockout punch to what’s holding you back from your wildest dreams and best life!

“Powerful and impactful! Ed is an incredible man and friend with a very unique personal story. His passion is contagious! He identifies God’s dreams for His children and the giants in the way of fulfilling these dreams. This is a must-read for anyone excited to use biblical weapons to help defeat these giants in life and chase their dreams! Get reading and let’s go!” -BRUCE TOLLNER, Co-Author of Sidelined with Indianapolis Colts Coach Chuck Pagano/NFL Agent/ Owner Rep 1 which represents Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, Ben Roethlisberger and many others.

“In Be A Giant Killer, Ed Norwood equips the reader to be able to readily identify the enemies that hinder us, and then conquer them. Defining the problem well is half the battle. This is gold to those who are ready to be victorious warriors.” -BISHOP DALE C. BRONNER, D. MIN., Founder/Senior Pastor, Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, Atlanta, GA

Congratulations to Charles Person with Richard Rooker and St. Martin’s Publishing on the January, 2022 Paperback release of Buses are a Comin’ Memoir of a Freedom Rider.

A firsthand exploration of the cost of boarding the bus of change to move America forward―written by one of the Civil Rights Movement’s pioneers.

At 18, Charles Person was the youngest of the original Freedom Riders, key figures in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement who left Washington, D.C. by bus in 1961, headed for New Orleans. This purposeful mix of black and white, male and female activists―including future Congressman John Lewis, Congress of Racial Equality Director James Farmer, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox, journalist and pacifist James Peck, and CORE field secretary Genevieve Hughes―set out to discover whether America would abide by a Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation unconstitutional in bus depots, waiting areas, restaurants, and restrooms nationwide.

Two buses proceeded through Virginia, North and South Carolina, to Georgia where they were greeted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and finally to Alabama. There, the Freedom Riders found their answer: No. Southern states would continue to disregard federal law and use violence to enforce racial segregation. One bus was burned to a shell, its riders narrowly escaping; the second, which Charles rode, was set upon by a mob that beat several riders nearly to death.

Buses Are a Comin’ provides a front-row view of the struggle to belong in America, as Charles Person accompanies his colleagues off the bus, into the station, into the mob, and into history to help defeat segregation’s violent grip on African American lives. It is also a challenge from a teenager of a previous era to the young people of today: become agents of transformation. Stand firm. Create a more just and moral country where students have a voice, youth can make a difference, and everyone belongs.

Congratulations to Mary Davis and Barbour Publishing on the January 31, 2022 release of Mrs. Witherspoon Goes To War (Heroines of WWII).

A WASP Goes Above the Call of Duty to Free Captive American Soldiers

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes; the heroines of WWII. Peggy Witherspoon, a widow, mother, and pilot flying for the Women’s Airforce Service in 1944 clashes with her new reporting officer. Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg was injured in combat and is now stationed at Bolling Field in Washington D.C. Most of Peggy’s jobs are safe, predictable, and she can be home each night with her three daughters; until a cargo run to Cuba alerts her to American soldiers being held captive there, despite Cuba being an ally

Will Peggy go against orders to help the men? Even risk her own life? Don’t miss this and other stories about Heroines of WWII.

Contracts

Sarah Varland signed with Harlequin Enterprises for Sarah Varland K-9. to be released May 2023.

Dr. Cindy McGovern signed with McGraw Hill for Sell Your Brand-Sell YOU to be released March 2023.

New Clients

 K.C. Campbell recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to Jessica Hooten Wilson for the Review of her book”The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints” in Publisher’s Weekly Magazine. 

Read the entire review at:  https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-58743-524-9. 

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