WordServe Water Cooler

January is national book month . . . 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 Jessica Hooten Wilson with Steve Prince and Brazos Press for January 23, 2024 release of Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress .

When celebrated American novelist and short story writer Flannery O’Connor died at the age of thirty-nine in 1964, she left behind an unfinished third novel titled Why Do the Heathen Rage? Scholarly experts uncovered and studied the material, deeming it unpublishable. It stayed that way for more than fifty years.

Until now.

For the past ten-plus years, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson has explored the 378 pages of typed and handwritten material of the novel–transcribing pages, organizing them into scenes, and compiling everything to provide a glimpse into what O’Connor might have planned to publish.

This book is the result of Hooten Wilson’s work. In it, she introduces O’Connor’s novel to the public for the first time and imagines themes and directions O’Connor’s work might have taken. Including illustrations and an afterword from noted artist Steve Prince (One Fish Studio), the book unveils scenes that are both funny and thought-provoking, ultimately revealing that we have much to learn from what O’Connor left behind.

Congratulations to Angela J. Herrington and Eerdmans Press for February 20, 2024 release of Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.

Have you experienced #ChurchHurt? Are you frustrated by judgmental church people supporting oppressive systems? Do you have doubts about the faith tradition you were raised in but are afraid of losing your community? Angela J. Herrington has been there. And with over a decade of experience as a life coach, she can teach you how to begin healing religious trauma through deconstruction.  

Lively and empathetic, Angela will gently guide you through deconstructing your faith. This concise and actionable handbook will 
     • give you permission to trust yourself, 
     • show you how to seek new perspectives and information, 
     • teach you how to embrace vulnerable exploration and self-compassion, and 
     • help you release unhealthy beliefs that are harming you and marginalized persons.  

Deconstructing your long-held beliefs can be isolating and overwhelming. But you don’t have to do it alone. Begin your healing journey with Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.

Contracts

Todd Korpi signed with InterVarsity Press for the July 2025 release of Artificial Intelligence and the People of God.

Ruth Goring signed with Anamchara Books for the December 2025 release of Dearworthy.

New Clients

Henry Rausch, Kelly Edmiston, Yolanda Williams, Henry Sledge, and Serena Sigillito recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

Grab a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and a good book.  Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Kris Tarantino with Cori Doerrfeld and Waterbrook Publishing for December 19th release of Be My Valenslime.

Snoodle is an unusual monster. She loves candy hearts, fun parties, fuzzy kittens, fancy hats, sparkly stickers, and . . . valentines! There’s just one problem: Monsters don’t do Valentine’s Day!

And when Snoodle tries to throw a Valentine’s Day party for her monster friends, nothing goes right. Every attempt to show them what love looks like turns into monster mayhem! With each disaster, Snoodle tries to be patient and kind, and to not be rude or get easily angered. But if the party isn’t perfect, how can Snoodle convince the other monsters to be her Valenslime? 

Debut author Kris Tarantino and New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld bring to life a wonderful cast in this laugh-out-loud exploration of the true meaning of love.

New Clients

Henry Rausch recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations Patricia Raybon! Double the Lies earned Christianity Today’s Fiction 2024 Book Award.  Christianity Today describes selections for this prestigious award as: “the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.”  Read the entire award review at https://rushtopress.org/13522-2/.

Continue reading “WordServe December News 2023”

National Family Literacy Month is celebrated during the month of November. National Family Literacy Month is an opportunity for families to learn and read together. It also celebrates the work literacy programs do to empower families. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Sarah Varland and  Love Inspired Suspense for the January 23, 2024 release of Alaskan Wilderness Rescue (K-9 Search and Rescue, 11),

A missing person rescue is now a K-9 manhunt for a killer…

A missing person case sends search and rescue worker Elsie Montgomery and her K-9 to a remote Alaskan island…only to discover she’s got a target on her back. Now she must partner with pilot Wyatt Chandler, the one man she doesn’t trust, to stay alive while confronting her shadowy past. But can they capture a killer before their time together runs out for good?

Contracts

Patricia Raybon signed with Tyndale for the September 2025 release of a new book yet to be titled.

Grace Hamman signed with Zondervan for the August 2025 release of Ask of Old Paths.

New Clients

Cameron Bellm recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to us! It was November 1, 2003, that WordServe Literary was birthed by founder and president Greg Johnson.

“It’s been a huge honor and privilege to shepherd authors and books to greater levels of success these last 20 years. The industry has gone through monumental changes during these past two decades, and as it continues to evolve, myself and our agents: Keely, Nick and Emma will continue to do what is needed to get great reads and important books to market.”

Congratulations Walt Larimore for winning the The Page Turner Non- Fiction Book Award for At First Light.

Congratulations, Linda MacKillop!  The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon won the 2023 Christy Award Finalist under the category of “First Novel“.

Congratulations Katie Powner! Where the Blue Sky Begins won the 2023 Christy Award under the category of “General Fiction“.

Did you know that October is National Book Month? Founded back in 2003, National Book Month is a month-long celebration focusing on the importance of reading, writing and literature. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Walt Larimore with Mike Yorkey and Knox Press for the paperback release of At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse.

What makes 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore’s story special is what happened in World War II’s closing days and the people—and horses—he interacted with in this Forrest Gump-like tale that is emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore is the ultimate Boy Scout—able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill is riding horses.

Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his parents send to him to a military academy. After Pearl Harbor, Phil realizes he is destined for war. Three weeks before his eighteenth birthday, he becomes the youngest candidate to ever graduate from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Landing on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, Phil is put in charge of an Ammunition Pioneer Platoon in the 3rd Infantry Division. Their job: deliver ammunition to the frontline foxholes—a dangerous assignment involving regular forays into No Man’s Land.

As Phil fights his way up the Italian boot, into Southern France and across the Rhine River into Germany, he is caught up in some of the most intense combat ever. But it’s what happens in the final stages of the war and his homecoming that makes Phil’s story incredibly special and heartwarming.

An emotional tale of courage, daring, and heroism, At First Light will remind you of the indomitable human spirit that lives in all of us.

Congratulations to Lydia E. Harris and Knox Press for the September 13th release of GRAND Moments: Devotions Inspired by Grandkids.

40 Devotions Inspired by Grandkids. Get ready to smile, laugh, and perhaps shed a few tears as you read the encouraging devotions in GRAND Moments: Devotions Inspired by Grandkids. Lydia Harris (known as “Grandma Tea” to her grandkids) combines heartwarming stories from her grandchildren’s lives and wisdom from God’s Word to inspire grandparents in every season. She also includes thirteen tasty recipes to make and enjoy with grandchildren. Each of the forty devotions includes a “grand thought” takeaway, a prayer, creative ideas to spend time with grandchildren, and quotes from grandparents and grandkids. GRAND Moments offers practical tips to guide grandparents as they pray for their grandchildren, share and model their faith, and invest in their grandchildren’s lives. Whether grandchildren live near or far away, this book will help readers grow as intentional Christian grandparents and pass on a godly legacy to future generations.

Congratulations to Lanny Hunter with Blackstone Publishing for the October 10th release of Exit Wounds: A Vietnam Elegy.

More than just a war memoir, Exit Wounds is a powerful story of a medical officer in Vietnam that reflects on duty, ethics, faithfulness, and how individuals are impacted by war.

An intimate boots-on-the-ground story, Hunter’s memoir begins with an intimate portrayal of two men whose lives crossed in Vietnam in 1965 and became irrevocably linked. Lanny Hunter was a Green Beret surgeon and soldier, and Y-Kre Mlo was his Montagnard interpreter. Hunter left Vietnam after the war, only to return in 1995 in response to Y-Kre’s request for help.

Hunter served in Vietnam believing America occupied the moral high ground. He lived the experience “war is hell” but also noted its obverse: war as heaven. In his memoir he explores the notion of both the military and medicine as mystical vocations, and the ambiguities of duty, citizenship, cultural imperialism, spirituality, morality, loss, and recovery.

Peopled with real soldiers who were dedicated, courageous, gentle, proud, profane, and a little mad, and seasoned with Hunter’s personal insights on medicine and moral injury, Exit Wounds is an incredibly insightful book that reveals what happens when America’s leaders place personal ambition above honor and deliberately lie to each other, the citizens, and its army.

Congratulations to Grace Hamman with Beth Allison Barr and Zondervan for the October 31st release of Jesus through Medieval Eyes: Beholding Christ with the Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages.

C.S. Lewis noted that the church has a problem: Whenever Christians are brainstorming together about who Jesus is and who we are, we go out and read mostly people who agree with us, or who live in our same time and place. It’s hard to separate the cultural wheat from the chaff. But what happens when we do read people’s answers to Jesus’s question from the past lives and places of the church–people who may be wholly unlike us? Who is Jesus? What is he like? And who am I, encountering Jesus?

The answers will surprise you.

Jesus through Medieval Eyes, by Grace Hamman, looks to the Christians of the Middle Ages, to a time and culture dissimilar to our own, for their answers to these questions. Medieval Europeans were also suffering through pandemics, dealing with political and ecclesial corruption and instability, and reckoning with gender, money, and power. Yet their concerns and imaginations are unlike ours. Their ideas, narratives, and art about Jesus open up paradoxically fresh and ancient ways to approach and adore Christ–and reveal where our own cultural ideals about the Messiah fall short.

In thoughtful and accessible chapters, medievalist scholar Grace Hamman explores and meditates upon medieval representations of Jesus in theology and literature. These representations of Jesus span from the familiar, like Jesus as the Judge at the End of Days, or Jesus as the Lover of the Song of Songs, to the more unusual, like Jesus as Our Mother. Through the words of medieval people like Julian of Norwich, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Margery Kempe, and St. Thomas Aquinas, we meet these faces of Jesus and find renewed ways to love the Savior, in the words of St. Augustine, that “beauty so ancient and so new.”

Congratulations to Kara Powell with Jen Bradbury and Brad Griffin and Zondervan for the November 7th release of Faith Beyond Youth Group: Five Ways to Form Character and Cultivate Lifelong Discipleship.

Most typical youth ministries today produce nice, obedient kids who behave themselves—and then leave the church and the faith. Even those who remain struggle to extend their own faith beyond youth group. They seem like “good kids,” but their lives and decisions outside youth group aren’t oriented toward Jesus. Clearly that is not our goal. So what are we doing wrong? And how can we better serve the unique needs of the most anxious, adaptive, and diverse generation in history?

If you’re tired of youth ministry that fails to change lives, it’s time to change youth ministry.

Building on two decades of the Fuller Youth Institute’s work and incorporating extensive new research and interviews, Faith Beyond Youth Group identifies the reasons youth ministry often flops both short-term and long-term, and offers five ways adult youth leaders can cultivate character for a lifetime of growing closer to Jesus rather than drifting away. It shows leaders how to cultivate trust, model growth, teach for transformation, practice together, and make meaning so that teenagers can become adults who hold fast to Jesus and boldly live out a robust faith in a watching world.

Congratulations to Jay Hewitt and Zondervan for the November 14th release of I Am Weak, I Am Strong: Building a Resilient Faith for a Resilient Life.

Even on the days you struggle to stay strong, you can live a resilient and hopeful life.

After receiving a devastating brain cancer diagnosis, Jay Hewitt had a decision to make: Should he give up on faith or practice what he preached and trust that with God all things are possible? In I Am Weak, I Am Strong, Jay chronicles his journey of turning toward Jesus even when circumstances urged him to turn away. Faith in action for Jay included competing in an IRONMAN triathlon while undergoing cancer treatment. His race was a grand gesture of love for his young daughter–and a call to resilience for all of us.

I Am Weak, I Am Strong reminds us that our true “superpower” comes from God. As you read Jay’s honest and inspiring words, you will:

• Understand the counterintuitive wisdom of strength in weakness
• Learn to discern the voice of God and his calling for your life
• Live with resilience in the face of any trial
• Discover how God moves mountains–even when you least expect it
• Feel empowered to pray authentically, boldly, and continually

For anyone who is searching for hope in anxiety and grief, needs validation and compassion in times of doubt, is curious about faith in the face of death, or longs for a more authentic relationship with God, I Am Weak, I Am Strong will teach you that faith grows from the freedom to doubt.

Strength grows from realizing how weak we are on our own. And light grows when we follow God’s dreams for us, even through the darkness.

Contracts

Eric A Clayton signed with Brazos Press for the May 2025 release of Peace is Now Hear Waiting.

Sarah Varland signed with Harlequin for the February 2025 releasee of K-9 Theme novels.

New Clients

Hilda Labrada Gore, Jerry Lathan, Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, Doug Schmidt, Jennifer Balou and Marissa Burt recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to us! It was November 1, 2003, that WordServe Literary was birthed by founder and president Greg Johnson.

“It’s been a huge honor and privilege to shepherd authors and books to greater levels of success these last 20 years. The industry has gone through monumental changes during these past two decades, and as it continues to evolve, myself and our agents: Keely, Nick and Emma will continue to do what is needed to get great reads and important books to market.”

Congratulations Natalie Runion! Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away is ranked #1 on the  ECPA Bestseller list.

Congratulations, Linda MacKillop!  The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon is a 2023 Christy Award Finalist under the category of “First Novel“.

Congratulations Bryan Clark! God’s Not Like That: Redeeming Inherited Beliefs and Finding the Father You Long For is ranked #5 on the  ECPA Bestseller list.

Congratulations Katie Powner! Where the Blue Sky Begins is a 2023 Christy Award Finalist under the category of “General Fiction“.

Continue reading “WordServe October News 2023”

While many people love fall to watch the leaves change colors, enjoy cooler temperatures and participate in exciting events, fall is also a wonderful time to read a good book.  Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Bill Myers and Fidelis Publishing for the September 13th release of Insight: Rendezvous with God Volume Four: A Novel.

Just as our hapless hero finally gets use to Jesus’ s many surprise visits, the stakes are raised even higher when his ex begs to move into his house with her latest boyfriend. Then, of course, there are the other women in his life— an uber-religious conservative and a jaded ex-Christian. All this as, barely knowing the Bible himself, he is roped into teaching a Bible study to rival gang members at the local prison. And yet, somehow, amidst the drama, comedy and surprising turn of events, he stumbles into the maturity God has always hoped for him.

Congratulations to Katie Powner and Bethany House Publishing for the September 26th release of Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass.

For the first time in his life, Pete has everything to lose.

After years of drifting, fifty-year-old Pete Ryman has settled down with his potbellied pig, Pearl, in the small Montana town of Sleeping Grass–a place he never expected to see again. It’s not the life he dreamed of, but there aren’t many prospects for a high-school dropout like him.

Elderly widow Wilma Jacobsen carries a burden of guilt over her part in events that led to Pete leaving Sleeping Grass decades ago. Now that he’s back, she’s been praying for the chance to make things right, but she never expected God’s answer to leave her flat on her face–literally–and up to her ears in meddling.

When the younger sister Pete was separated from as a child shows up in Sleeping Grass with her eleven-year-old son, Pete is forced to face a past he buried long ago, and Wilma discovers her long-awaited chance at redemption may come at a higher cost than she’s willing to pay.

Congratulations to Sarah E Frazer and B & H Books for the October 17th release of I Didn’t Sign Up for This: How to Rest in God’s Goodness When Your Story Shifts.

This wasn’t part of the plan. The story wasn’t supposed to go this way. I didn’t sign up for this. If you’ve ever had these thoughts, chances are that your story has shifted in some unexpected way. Perhaps it’s even turned totally upside down, and you’re wondering how in the world to move forward.
 
You’re not alone. As author Sarah Frazer journeys with you through the story of Moses, you’ll find that even a hero of God’s people faced all sorts of confusing and painful plot twists too. Moses didn’t settle in the Promised Land, but He met the Lord of Promise. His legacy reminds us that even with a life crushed with disappointment, God’s plan goes forth, God’s presence provides, God’s promises are personal, and God’s purpose is never thwarted. As you journey through his life in these pages, you’ll discover:   

• how life’s plot twists and interruptions are actually the ways God is working
• how God uses the darkest circumstances to proclaim His sovereign goodness
• how to number your days rightly, recognize God’s hand in each branch of your path, and cultivate a heart of wisdom and trust
• how to say goodbye to disillusionment and instead invite God’s plan, presence, promises, and purpose back into your heart

Friend, let God pick you up and show you how to grow through whatever detour, setback, heartache, or disappointment life has thrown at you. Like Moses, you may not have signed up for the path you’re on, but God can—and will—see you through it.  

Contracts

Meryl Ashley Cantley Herr signed with InterVarsity Press for the January 2025 release of When Work Hurts.

Carrie Rogers-Whitehead signed with Rowman & Littlefield for the May 2025 release of Technology for Littles: Helping Young Children Navigate the Internet Responsibly.

Israel Del Toro, Jr. signed a Film Option Agreement with Corner Creek Media for his book A Patriot’s Promise.

New Clients

Matthew Burdette, Dr. Shawn Horn, Al Ross, and Meadow Rue Merrill  recently signed with WordServe.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) just awarded Disaster on the Spanish Main a silver medal among military histories.

Continue reading “WordServe September News 2023”

While many people love fall to watch the leaves change colors, enjoy cooler temperatures and participate in exciting events, fall is also a wonderful time to read a good book.  Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Jamie Sumner and Atheneum Books for the September 5th release of Maid For It.

From the acclaimed author of Roll with It comes a relatable and deeply moving middle grade novel about a girl who, in a desperate bid to keep her family afloat, takes over her mom’s cleaning jobs after an injury prevents her from working.

Now that Franny and her newly sober mom have moved to a cozy apartment above a laundromat, Franny’s looking forward to a life where her biggest excitement is getting top grades in math class. But when Franny’s mom gets injured in a car accident, their fragile life begins to crumble. There’s no way her mom can keep her job cleaning houses, which means she can’t pay the bills. Franny can’t forget what happened the last time her mom was hurt: the pills that were supposed to help became an addiction, until rehab brought them to Mimi’s laundromat and the support group she hosts.

Franny will not let addiction win again, even if she has to blackmail a school rival to help her clean houses. She’ll make the money and keep her mom sober—there’s no other choice. But what happens if this is one problem she can’t solve on her own?

Congratulations to Leslie Leyland Fields with Paul Willis and IV Press for the September 5th release of A Radiant Birth: Advent Readings for a Bright Season.

The first Christmas sermon preserved in church history was preached by St. John Chrysostom in AD 386, in which he declared, “Behold a new and wonderful mystery!” In this volume, the Christian literary writers of the Chrysostom Society reflect on Advent and Christmastide as a bright and meaningful season of anticipation and glory. Through forty-two readings from the first Sunday of Advent through Epiphany, contributors prepare us in watchful waiting for the coming of Jesus. We enter slowly so that the familiar can astonish us and become wondrous once again.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem. But not only there. He is also born in us, that we might bear his presence and impart his goodness to the world.

Congratulations to Jenn Schultz and Esther Press for September 5th release of She’s Not Your Enemy: Conquering Our Insecurities So We Can Build God’s Kingdom Together.

Find freedom from jealousy and insecurity as you rest in your true worth and identity in God. Complete with reflection questions, journaling space, and accompanying teaching videos, She’s Not Your Enemy helps you move beyond habits of self-protection and create a culture of community.

Sometimes the women in our lives feel like enemies: The colleague who threatens your position at work. The friend who talks behind your back. The woman who seems to have it all together—while you are barely hanging on.

But the real enemy is the one who is trying to defeat you with lies that lead to isolation, insecurity, and division. She’s Not Your Enemy equips us to battle Satan’s deception through the solid truth of God’s Word. Popular blogger and podcast host Jenn Schultz comes alongside us to explore:
 How we find true joy when we recognize our unique roles in God’s kingdom

• What we lose when we see other women as competition
• What to do about envy, jealousy, people-pleasing, and perfectionism
• Why we will never be “enough” on our own—and why that’s great news
• How our view of God affects our view of ourselves and others

 When we find our worth and identity in God, we can cultivate empathy and compassion for those we have labeled as the enemy—including the woman in the mirror—and live with greater joy.

Congratulations to Carolyn Leiloglou  and Waterbrook Publishing for the September 12th release of Beneath the Swirling Sky.

After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent’s plan is to stay glued to his phone.

That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world’s most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from him: Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces.

With Lili’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second-cousin Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted. Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal—and adventure and danger lurk beyond every canvas.

Contracts

Meryl Ashley Cantley Herr signed with InterVarsity Press for the January 2025 release of When Work Hurts.

Jennifer Strickland signed with Regnery Publishing for the October 2024 release of I Am A Woman.

Robert Bruce Jameson III signed with Penguin Random House for the November 2024 release of Everything is Never Enough.

Michaela O’Donnell signed with Baker Publishing for the August 2024 release of Life in Flux.

Meryl Ashley Cantley Herr signed with InterVarsity Press for the January 2025 release of When Work Hurts.

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations Katie Powner! The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass  received  Starred Review from Library Journal. 

“Powner’s real-life experience as a seasoned foster mother shines through in this tale of finding treasure in the people and things that others have cast aside. Readers will be clamoring for more.”

Continue reading “WordServe August News 2023”

Summer is here.  Are you ready to do some serious summer reading?  Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . 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 Jennifer Rosner and IV Press for the May 24th release of Finding Messiah.

Jesus was Jewish, and his Jewish identity informed every aspect of his work, words, and witness. He came as the Messiah of Israel, God’s covenant people, and he spoke the language of God’s faithfulness to this people. So why does it seem that Judaism has little to do with our Christian discipleship today? Jennifer Rosner, a scholar of Jewish-Christian relations, takes us on a personal and corporate journey into the Jewish roots of Christian faith and practice. Understanding Judaism―and the way in which Judaism and Christianity became separate religions―is essential for a rich and holistic Christian identity. As a follower of Jesus who was raised in a Jewish home and who continues to live a Jewish life, Rosner has seen firsthand how a Christian faith can become impoverished when divorced from its Jewish roots. Finding Messiah follows Rosner’s own journey in rediscovering the role of Judaism and God’s covenant with Israel in Christian life and practice. When we begin to understand Christianity’s indelible relationship to Judaism, key aspects of the Christian faith come alive and the wonder of the gospel becomes clear in new and powerful ways. Jesus’ Judaism provides the foundation for the church that is built upon his name. Rediscover the Jewish Jesus, and in so doing, experience a deeper and richer faith than ever before.

Congratulations to Mindy Ferguson and AMG Publishing for June 27th release of Eyewitness to Redemption Ruth: Finding Refuge in God’s Redeeming Love .

The book of Ruth gives us a glimpse into the personal journey of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi.

Congratulations to Kim Kimberling, PhD with Nancy Kimberling and Core Media for the July 11th release of Love, Intimay & Sex in the Second Half.

No two marriages are the same. Each couple experiences their unique ups and downs and stages of life. When the second half of marriage begins, many things could be taking place—your final child has left home, one of you is making a career change or thinking about retiring, or you may be discovering new life goals. And your question may be: How do I avoid disconnecting with my spouse after entering this new season of our lives? In Love, Intimacy and Sex in the Second Half, Dr. Kim and Nancy Kimberling challenges couples to love better, grow in intimacy, and have the best sex life ever. Through a series of intimate discussions about their own journey, and sharing stories from other couples, they show that the right focus, intentionality, and work can make the next season of marriage something to be cherished and enjoyed.

Congratulations to Angie Ward and Zondervan Books  for the August 1st release of Uncharted Leadership.

Ministry is complicated, and every leadership challenge is unique. How can you lead effectively when there isn’t a clear path forward?

Real life ministry is complicated–far more complicated than is typically captured in leadership books. There are moving parts and people who require adept, agile, adaptive leadership. Unlike technical challenges with a clear or known solution, adaptive challenges are complex and dynamic, requiring creative leaderships. Adaptive leadership is art, not science. It is an exercise in wisdom, not just knowledge. It requires leaders to ascertain the issues, values, and stakes unique to a given situation, to consider the potential courses of action, and decide which courses are best.

The case study method is a proven and effective tool to help leaders chart their course by learning from complex, real-life situations. Leaders learn to integrate multiple leadership strategies and concepts by reading and reflecting on multiple case studies, helping them clarify their own unique context, values, challenges, opportunities, and potential actions. Like real ministry, case studies are complex. There is not always an easy solution, or even a fast understanding of the real problem(s). The case studies in Uncharted Leadership promote learning at the deepest level: helping leaders move beyond simple answers to deep individual and organizational understanding and transformation.

Uncharted Leadership applies the case study method to ministry leadership. Through a series of relevant, real-life case studies in ministry leadership, Angie Ward brings the classroom to the reader, using thought-provoking questions, commentary, and recommended resources to expand the leader’s empathy, understanding, awareness, and skill.

Congratulations to Katy McCown and EstherPress for the August 8th release of She Belongs: Finding Your Place in the Body of Christ .

Have you been… limiting yourself? Maybe getting in the way of what heaven has for you due to doubt, fear, or feeling you’re just too flawed?

Well, you are not alone. You were made to believe and live bigger, and this devotional journal can guide that discovery, drawing you confidently toward God’s one-of-a-kind dreams for you as His beloved daughter.

Join reinvention strategist and life coach, Marshawn Evans Daniels on a 100 day devotional, journaling, prayer adventure and discover your true identity. You’ll identify what is stopping you from living out your calling and enter into open dialogue with God about your ambitions, goals, and dreams. As you lean into God’s promises for you in scripture you will explore the truth about who you are, why you matter and what you are here to do.

Marshawn will walk you through 100 days divided into 10 sections covering:

• Trust
• Purpose
• Identity
• Disruption
• Belief + Faith
• Blessing Blocker
• Stillness
• Blessings + Obedience
• Significance
• Courage

Step out and take the next 100 days to pray, journal and spend time with God and uncover your true identity and unleash your faith like never before. A higher destiny, filled with possibility is calling you. God is awakening something magnificent within you!

Congratulations to Ryan Keats and Union Square for the August 15th release of The Land Before Time Management: ADHDinos.

After he received an adult ADHD diagnosis in early 2022, author and illustrator Ryan Keats made lemons into prehistoric lemonade: he began to use his lived experience to create hilarious comics featuring cute cartoon dinosaurs. The adorable brontosaurus main character, Dino, grapples with so many problematic tendencies we’ve all experienced, with or without a formal diagnosis of ADHD. And for the increasing number of people who have been diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, these comics are a great way to feel seen and empathize with, not to mention normalize ADHD’s persistent symptoms. Find yourself drifting off during daily conversation? Struggling and losing the battle with multitasking? Maybe you should stop scrolling and do that thing? You know the one. If any of this resonates, you may or may not be a brontosaurus, but you’re probably dealing with ADHD in the best way you can: day by day. 

Congratulations to Elizabeth Felicetti and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing for the August 22nd release of Unexpected Abundance: The Fruitful Lives of Women without Children.

In many Christian communities today, women are expected to have children—to “be fruitful and multiply.” To be childless is to be less of a woman, less of a Christian, or so it can feel. Elizabeth Felicetti is deeply familiar with this pressure as an Episcopal priest who never had the children she imagined would be part of her life. But in the landscape of her childhood in Arizona Felicetti found fresh eyes. If she’s “barren,” so is the desert—and if you look closely, the desert teems with unexpected life. This is also true of women throughout history. Biblical women like Mary Magdalene, medieval mystics like Julian of Norwich, and modern activists like Rosa Parks did not have children, yet their lives bore fruit in their communities and in the church at large.  

In reflecting on her own experience alongside those of these remarkable women, Felicetti deepens our understanding of the many ways to be fruitful. Women without children—by choice or chance—who have felt frustrated or voiceless in the church will find solidarity and inspiration in the pages of Unexpected Abundance.

Congratulations to Michael Phillips and Fidelis Publishing for the August 23rd release of Endangered Virtues and the Coming Ideological War: A Challenge for Americans to Reclaim the Historic Virtues of the Nation’s Christian Roots.

In recent years it is with grave concern we have watched the rapid changes taking place in America and throughout the world. As a people we are increasingly engaged in an ideological tug of war that will determine our future, and that of generations to come. The objective of Endangered Virtues and the Coming Ideological War is to inquire what kind of people serious Christians are called to be. Hopefully we can give intelligent and prayerful thought to our responses to changes coming to the world with startling forcefulness, but that have been met with equally astonishing complacency. Silence, neutrality, and docile compliance will not be an option much longer.

Contracts

Brandon Young with Blayne Smith signed with BenBella Books for the February 2025 release of Perseverance > Endurance. 

Shemaiah Gonzalez signed with Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the March 2025 release of Undaunted Joy.

Jim Burns signed with Right Now Media for six of his video seminars to be included in the online streaming platform for churches.

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations Natalie Runion! Raised to Stay is a Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. You are #23 in trade paperback frontlist category.  https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/nielsen/tradepaper.html

AND, is a USA TODAY National Bestseller! It was #21 in all books last week, #5 in non-fiction category, and #1 in the religion category. You can see the list here: https://www.usatoday.com/booklist/date/2023-07-12

Congratulations Bryan Clark!  God’s Not Like That is a USA TODAY National Bestseller! It was #37 in all books last week, #9 in non-fiction category, and #2 in the religion category. You can see the list here:  https://www.usatoday.com/booklist/date/2023-07-12 

Continue reading “WordServe July News 2023”