Tag: cara whitney

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WordServe News July 2020

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

Congratulations to Sarah Varland and Love Inspired for the August 1st release of Alaskan Showdown.

What she uncovers sheds light on a cold case…and can put her in a grave.

After finding the body of a missing hiker in her small Alaska town, search-and-rescue dog handler Adriana Steele becomes the target of a serial killer thought to have been inactive for decades. Now Adriana’s determined to help Officer Levi Wicks catch the murderer. But with the cold case heating up…the jaded officer is all that stands between her and death.

Congratulations to Kate Hurley and Harvest House Published for the release of the new expanded version of Getting Naked Later: Making Sense of the Unexpected Single Life. 

Will I always be lonely if I end up alone?

You thought you’d be married by now, but you’re not. Even though your friends in relationships love to tell you that singleness is a gift, this gift comes with its share of fear, grief, and still-to-be-answered prayers.

Life coach and singer-songwriter Kate Hurley has been there, and now she encourages you to open yourself to new opportunities and relationships of all varieties. Getting Naked Later will help you…

  • find family in your friends, church, and community
  • stop viewing the pursuit of a partner as a formula that demands a solution
  • hand over control of your life to God, finding peace in the knowledge that He has a plan for you

You don’t need to give up on romance, but you also don’t need to live on standby, expecting someone else to give your life meaning. Learn how to stop waiting and start embracing your life—right where you are.

This is an expanded edition of the previously released book Cupid is a Procrastinator.

This is a first for our agency…a book’s release with the author still in a war zone. Grateful to Ryan Hendrickson for his continued service as a civilian contractor, even after a 20-year career in 3 branches of the military, including the Green Beret’s where he was awarded the Silver Star for Valor, as well as several Purple Hearts (and other medals). Here he is holding a copy of his just-released book in Afghanistan. Salute!!!

 

Congratulations to Ryan Hendrickson for the release of The Tip of the Spear: The Incredible Story of an Injured Green Beret’s Return to Battle.  This is inspiring true story of a US Special Forces soldier who was medically retired after stepping on an IED, and his incredible return to active duty.

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ryan Hendrickson is a brave, determined, and courageous soldier — a Green Beret clearing the way for his twelve-man team while conducting combat operations against the Taliban. As the “tip of the spear,” his role is to ensure the route taken by U.S. and Afghan troops are free of IEDs — improvised explosive devices. Many soldiers do not survive their last step; those who do often lose at least one limb.

While rescuing an Afghan soldier outside a mud-hut compound in 2010 — knowing that he was in “uncleared” territory — Ryan stepped on an IED with his right foot. The device exploded, leaving his foot dangling at the end of his leg.

American soldiers losing a limb is an all-too-common occurrence. But what makes Ryan’s story different is that after undergoing two dozen surgeries and a tortuous rehabilitation, he was medically retired but fought to return to active duty. Multiple skin grafts to his leg and right foot successfully reattached his lower leg, and he was aided in his recovery by wearing a new prosthetic device known as an IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis). Once he passed a series of crucial physical tests, Ryan was able to rejoin the Green Berets within a year and physically perform his duties, redeploying to Afghanistan in March 2012.

In 2016, he volunteered to return to Afghanistan with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. During a firefight with the Taliban, he risked his life under heavy enemy fire to rescue three Afghan soldiers cut off from friendly forces and return the bodies of two dead Afghan soldiers under the ethos that “no one gets left behind.” For his heroic efforts on the battlefield, SFC Ryan Hendrickson was awarded a Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor.

An engaging and harrowing account, Tip of the Spear tells the amazing story of one Green Beret’s indomitable spirit.

Congratulations to Rick Johnson and Revell for the release of How to Understand the Man you Love.

Men are fairly simple creatures with fairly simple needs. Yet women often find themselves frustrated trying to understand those needs in order to improve their marriages. Relationship expert Rick Johnson ends the guessing game, giving women an open and honest look inside the world of a man’s needs and helping them understand how best to use their influence to have a satisfying and exciting relationship.

Congratulations to Pierce Brantley and David C. Cook for the release of Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work.

Men today long for a calling but often settle for the next best thing: a job. They aspire for a higher purpose but still have bills to pay and family to support. But what if men could find their calling in the work they are already doing?

In his new book Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work, author Pierce Brantley uses practical language and shares actionable steps to show men how to redefine the purpose of their work and discover what it means to have a “called career.”

Brantley shows men they can find a meaningful connection with God in the work they are doing right now. Men were designed for this partnership, and once they embrace it they will be awakened to the true purpose of their work—not just a career but a calling.

Contracts

Bradley Caffee signed with Mountain Brook Ink a three-book deal for “The Chase Runner” Series to be released in 2021 and 2022.

Steve Arterburn signed a 6-book deal with Salem Publishers. Titles include: Understanding and Loving Your Pot-Smoking Child, Understanding and Loving Your ADHD Child, Understanding and Loving Your Child as a Single Parent, Understanding and Loving Your Child Through College, Understanding and Loving Your Child in a Screen Saturated World, and Understanding and Loving Your Bonus Children: Rethinking Your Approach as a Blended Family.

David Dusek signed with Fidelis Publishing, LLC for The Manhood Battle: Tactics to Biblical Manhood Learned from the 7th Cavalry in Vietnam to be released late summer 2021.

David Stoop signed with Revell for Don’t Die Before You’re Dead to be released in the fall of 2021.

Jessica Hooten Wilson signed a two-book deal with BrazosPress for The Scandalous Holy and How to Read Like a Christian to be released in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

New Clients

Diane Peterson, Lavender Vroman, Josh Kemble, Candy Mariballi, Michelle Krol, Shelley Kinder, and Jess Lewis signed with WordServe in July.  Welcome!

 

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to Jamie Sumner for the Kirkus Starred Review for Tune It Out. Read all about it here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jamie-sumner/tune-it-out/

 

 

 

Congratulations to Katie Powner for the Starred Review from Library Journal for her debut novel, The Sowing Season (Bethany, October 2020). Read what they’re saying here: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?reviewDetail=the-sowing-season

 

 

Congratulations to Mary Davis for being a finalist in the Will Rogers Medallion Awards in the Western Romance category for The Daughter’s Predicament (Quilting Circle Book 2)

 

 

 

Congratulations to Sarah M. Carlson for the great article on Fox News featuring her book In the Dark of War: A CIA Officer’s Account of the U.S. Evacuation from Libya. Check out the article here: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/quietly-ferocious-cia-officer-libya-daniel-hoffman.

 

 

Congratulations to Cara Whitney for her beautiful book Unbridled Faith: 100 Devotions from the Horse Farm surpassing 100,000 books sold! Well Done!

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WordServe News September 2019

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

Congratulations, Cindy McGovern and McGraw Hill for the September 17 release of Every Job is a Sales Job.

An essential roadmap to achieving professional and personal success―from the “First Lady of Sales”

While you may not have “sales” in your title, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to sell. Renowned sales authority Dr. Cindy McGovern believes that everyone is a salesperson, regardless of his or her job description. When you ask for a referral, network to form a new connection, or interview for a job, you’re selling the other person on an ideal version of yourself. Every Job is a Sales Job will help you learn to identify “selling” opportunities that you may have overlooked. This indispensable roadmap will show you how to take control of your personal and professional success.

McGovern shares her proven 5-step sales process to help you attract new business, retain existing customers, and spot opportunities to promote yourself and your ideas. You’ll learn how to:

•Create a plan and set attainable goals
•Identify subtle opportunities that could result in future success
•Establish trust and listen for clues to understand what others need
•Ask for what you want and move past the fear of rejection
•Follow up on your ask, be grateful, and pay it forward
•Muster up the courage to ask for referrals and references

Congratulations to Jamie Sumner for the October 1 release of Roll With It.

“A big-hearted story that’s as sweet as it is awesome.” —R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder

In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves to a new town.

Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles. The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer’s for dinner, but one day she’s going to be a professional baker. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.

But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school. Except she’s not just the new kid—she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!

Author Jan Drexler releases the lastest in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, The Roll of the Drums, October 1.

Ruby Weaver’s curly red hair isn’t the only thing that sets her apart from her Amish community in 1863. Twenty-eight and single, Ruby doesn’t believe a woman needs to be married in order to be happy. Her ailing friend Lovinia Fischer, however, has other ideas and wants Ruby to promise to marry her husband after she dies. Never imagining she’d have to fulfill that vow, Ruby agrees. And she’s not the only one. Lovinia has extracted a similar promise from her husband, Gideon.

With both Ruby and Gideon reluctant to keep their promises, a compromise must be reached. Ruby will spend her days with Gideon’s family–helping to raise the children and keep the house–but her nights will be spent at her sister’s neighboring house. But this arrangement raises eyebrows in their conservative Amish community, and it soon becomes clear that Ruby must make a decision–marry Gideon or turn her back on her friend, the children she’s grown to love . . . and their father.

Congratulations to Lynne Hartke for her contribution to the October 8, 2019 release of  Daily Guideposts 2020: A Spirit-Lifting Devotional.

Daily Guideposts, America’s bestselling annual devotional, is a 365-day devotional from the Editors of Guideposts that will help readers grow in their faith every day of the year.

Daily Guideposts 2020 centers on the theme “He Performs Wonders,” based on Job 5:9, and is filled with brand-new devotions from fifty writers. Each day readers will enjoy a Scripture verse, a true first-person story told in an informal, conversational style, which shares the ways God speaks to us in the ordinary events of life, and a brief prayer to help focus the reader to apply the day’s message. For those who wish for more, “Digging Deeper” provides additional Bible references that relate to the day’s reading.

Enjoy favorite writers like Debbie Macomber, Edward Grinnan, Elizabeth Sherrill, Patricia Lorenz, Julia Attaway, Karen Barber, Sabra Ciancanelli, Mark Collins, and Rick Hamlin.

In just five minutes a day, Daily Guideposts helps readers find the spiritual richness in their own lives and welcomes them into a remarkable family of over one million people brought together by a desire to grow every day of the year.

New October 8 release from Paula Rinehart and Connally Gilliam is…and yet, undaunted: Embraced by the Goodness of God in the Chaos of Life.

Life is hard. We often find ourselves walking through stories that don’t feel like they should be ours. And yet here we are. We wonder where our good God is in the midst of it.

But we are not left without hope. In fact―we have the greatest hope of all. Through vulnerable stories and rich insight, Paula Rinehart and Connally Gilliam point to the Larger Story that carries all the anxiety, longing, and beauty of your life. The backdrop of the big gospel story―creation (how life ought to be), the fall (how life is), redemption (how life can be), and restoration (how life will be one day)―gives context to our lives and hope for walking forward. The grand story of the gospel of Jesus Christ frames our every step.

Discover renewed strength and joy in the middle of your ache . . . and the goodness of God that will give you the courage to remain yet undaunted.

October 8, Andrew T. Le Peau releases, Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality.

Writing is not easy. But it can get better. In this primer on nonfiction writing, Andrew Le Peau offers insights he has learned as a published author and an editor for over forty years, training, guiding, and cheering on hundreds of writers. Here are skills that writers can master―from finding strong openings and closings, to focusing on an audience, to creating a clear structure, to crafting a persuasive message. With wide-ranging examples from fiction and nonfiction, Le Peau also demystifies aspects of art in writing such as creativity, tone, and metaphor. He considers strategies that can move writers toward fresher, more vital, and perhaps more beautiful expressions of the human condition. One aspect of writing that rarely receives attention is who we are as writers and how writing itself changes us. Self-doubt, fear of criticism, downsides of success, questions of authority, and finding our voice are all a part of the exploration of our spirituality as writers found in these pages. Discover how the act of writing can affect our life in God. Whether you’re a veteran writer, an occasional practitioner, a publishing professional, or a student just starting to explore such skills, Le Peau’s wit and wisdom can speed you on your way.

Keep cool these last few days of summer with Sarah Varland’s release of the Large-Print Edition of Alaskan Christmas: Cold Case.

Christmas Under Fire…

The Ice Maiden Killer is back.

For years, a serial killer has eluded authorities—and he’s set Alaska state trooper Erynn Cooper in his sights. Erynn’s only chance at survival is to trust Moose Haven police chief Noah Dawson with her life and the truth about her past. But with Christmas quickly approaching, Erynn and Noah are running out of time to catch the murderer…before Erynn becomes the next victim.

New Clients

Sarah Sanderson, Colin Paul Cahoon, Daniel Weiss, Joshua Glaser, Jennie McLaurin, Cymbeline T. Culiat, Lucas Johnson, and Robert Weatherwax signed with WordServe in September.  Welcome!

Contracts

Cara Whitney signed with Thomas Nelson for Sharing God’s Love with Everyone, Everywhere, to be released in the fall of 2020.

Ed Norwood signed with Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. for his work, Giant Killers to be released late summer 2020.

Rebecca Siegel with Amen Clinics signed with Kensington Publishing Corporation for her work entitled, The Brain on Cannabis, to be released Summer 2021.

Tana Amen signed with Thomas Nelson for One Less Scared Child to be released early 2021.

What We’re Celebrating

Check out author, Jamie Sumner’s latest article with Scary Mommy: HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WordServe News April 2019

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

Congratulations to Larry Dugger for the release of He Calls Me Friend: 90 Devotions for Men.

Jesus was the every man. His hands were rough from hours spent in the carpenter’s shop. He attended more than one all-night fishing trip with His disciples. They were not just His servants, they were His friends. By taking a close look at how Jesus interacted with others, we can clearly see a pattern of true friendship and draw closer to the one true Friend.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Ninety original devotions
• Inspirational quotes throughout
• Lovely, durable package features leather and denim textures
• Perfect size for a coat pocket or briefcase
• Makes a great Father’s Day gift!

Tracie Miles releases the Audio CD of Unsinkable Faith: God-filled Stategies to Transform the Way You Think, Feel and Live. 

For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a constant battle—especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others, negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn’t seem possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith, causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don’t sink. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same. Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive life. In Unsinkable Faith, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who struggle with negativity. Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. This audio book will equip you to:

• Replace pessimism with positive thinking by becoming the captain of your thoughts;

• Learn how true joy and happiness are based on choice, not circumstances;

• Overcome unhealthy habits of negative thinking by intentionally implementing three easy mind-renewing steps;

• Stop feeling hopeless and pitiful, and start feeling hope-filled and powerful instead;

• Discover that when you change the way you think, you change the way feel, and in turn you can change your life completely.

Congratulations Anita Agers-Brooks and Kregel Publications for the release of Exceedingly.

Personal encouragement and inspiration for finding your unique calling

“Am I making a difference?” “Can I accomplish meaningful things despite the mistakes I’ve made?” “How can I know God’s purpose for me?”

As the true stories in Exceedingly demonstrate, whether famous or entirely unknown, we all struggle to find significance in our lives. But the truth is that each one of us has a special reason for being right here, right now–and we can discover exactly what that is.

Anita Agers-Brooks walks through simple yet powerful strategies, skills, and exercises to do just that. Through practical application and inspiration from people like the late country music star Troy Gentry, readers will identify and hone their natural traits, raw talents, and untapped abilities. Uncovering our purpose doesn’t require big personalities, perfect lives, or an issue-free past. We only have to make the effort to learn to see ourselves as God does and fulfill the personal purpose we were made for.

Seekers who engage with Anita will find their quest leads to one amazing conclusion: if they unearth what they’ve been given and dare to believe, their Maker will do exceedingly, abundantly more with their lives than they’ve ever imagined.

The mass market paperback of Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over by Anita Agers-Brooks releases April 30, 2019.

We will do almost anything to avoid facing our worst fears. But when tragedy strikes, and you can no longer hide, what do you do?

Many experience abuse, financial disaster, serious illness, death of loved ones, and other common traumas making them believe they’ll never move past the pain, but through research and true story compilations, author Anita Agers-Brooks offers emotional, practical, and spiritual insights from experts and people who have survived intense trauma—and have made it through seemingly impossible situations.

Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over offers relatable stories from people who have “been there” and lived to see a much brighter day as well as a section of “Insider Tips” that provides insights on emotional healing, practical actions to take, and scriptures for spiritual comfort and encouragement to help you work through any struggle.

Congratulations to Rebecca and Christian George and Citadel Press for the April 30 release of Lightning Sky: A U.S. Fighter Pilot Captured During WWII and His Father’s Quest to Find Him.

A U.S. fighter pilot captured by the enemy. A father determined to rescue his son. One of the most remarkable and moving true stories of faith and perseverance to come out of World War II.
 
October 6, 1944. Twenty-year-old Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant David “Mac” Warren MacArthur was on a strafing mission over Greece when a round of 88-mm German anti-aircraft flak turned his P-38 Lightning into a comet of fire and smoke. Dave parachuted to safety as the Lightning lived up to her name and struck the Adriatic Sea like a bolt of flames. In minutes, he was plucked from the water—only to find himself on the wrong end of a German rifle pointing straight at his head.

Dave’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Vaughn MacArthur, was a chaplain with the 8th Armored Division of Patton’s Third Army when he learned of his son’s capture. He made it his personal mission to find him. For the duration of the war, as Dave was shuttled from camp to camp—including Dachau—his father never stopped searching. Then in May 1945, Vaughn’s last hope was Stalag VII-A in Moosburg, Germany. Through the barbed wire fence, he cried out his son’s name. Incredibly, out of tens of thousands of POWs, one of them, squinting into the sunlight, turned and smiled.

Father and son spent the next two weeks together celebrating, a forever cherished memory. Over the next twenty-five years, Dave would go on to honor his father on rescue missions of his own, becoming a highly decorated and genuine American war hero. In both Korea and Vietnam, Dave would carry with him the legacy of a great man who gave everything to save his son.

An inspiring, harrowing, and unforgettable chronicle of love of family and love of country, Lightning Sky is a timeless testament to extraordinary lives in extraordinary times.

Congratulations to Jonathan McKee for the May 1 release of Guy’s Guide to Four Battles Every Young Man Must Face: A Manual to Overcoming Life’s Common Distractions.

Honestly?. . .

“Why wait for something when I can enjoy it now?”
“These images don’t really affect me. . .do they?”
“How could smoking a little weed really be that bad when it’s becoming legalized everywhere?”
“I’d like to tell you I don’t care what others think, but honestly, I want to be liked.”

Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ve had one. . .maybe even a few of these thoughts, and I don’t know how to even begin to deal with them.”

The good news? You’re not alone. And there is a way to fight these battles head-on, overcoming the past, pressing forward, and becoming the person God designed you to be.

So what’s a guy to do? . . .

Join youth culture expert and author of the popular Guy’s Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket, Jonathan McKee, as he gets real about the four common battles every young man will encounter in his life:

1: Sexual Temptation
2. Screens
3: Controlled Substances
4: Self-Esteem

With humor and honesty, McKee offers up practical, spiritual advice filled with real-world application helping you face today’s distractions.

Congratulations to Jamie Erickson and Moody Publishers for the May 1 release of Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Children  with Confidence.

Quiet the voices of “not good enough” and step courageously into guilt-free homeschooling

Many homeschool parents have a long-term relationship with self-doubt. “Did I make the right decision?” “Could someone else do this better?” “Am I robbing my kids of something by not sending them to ‘regular school’?”

What if there’s a better way?

Not a 3-step technique or a shiny, new curriculum, but a change in perspective that transforms the way you plan, teach, and homeschool?

Homeschool Bravely teaches you to see homeschooling as a calling, helps you overthrow the tyranny of impossible expectations, and guides you through the common bumps in the road, including how to:

  • juggle school and parenting with toddlers at home
  • teach a struggling learner
  • plan with the end in mind
  • accept your own limitations without feeling guilty
  • stay the course even in the face of criticism

Reclaim your hope, renew your purpose, and transform your homeschool. Because the truth is: God will use every part of your homeschool, even your fears, faults, and failures, to weave good plans for your kids.

Contracts

Cara Whitney signed with Harper Collins for Unbridled Faith for Young Readers due to release Summer 2020.

Glenn Schroder signed with Thomas Nelson for Never Trust a Leader without a Limp to be released Spring 2020.

Jamie Sumner signed with Simon & Schuster for her books, The Survival Playlist and Garbologist, to be released Spring 2020 and Fall 2021.

New Clients

Elishaba Doerksen, Justin Laborde, Jesse L. Nelson, Fatima Doman, Kym Douglas, David Nico, Michaela O’Donnell Long, Russell Masterson and Scotty Smith signed with WordServe in April.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to Anthony B. Thompson with Densie George for the starred review in Publisher’s Weekly for Called to Forgive: The Charleston Church Shooting, a Victim’s Husband, and the Path to Healing and Peace. Read the review HERE.

 

 

Check out the Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion Bible App for Amanda Anderson’s upcoming release of her new book, All My Friends Have Issues: Buidling Remarkable Relationships with Imperfect People (Thomas Nelson, July 9, 2019) 

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WordServe News August 2017

Exciting 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

Jan Drexler’s The Prodigal Son Returns was re-released by Love Inspired as part of a 2-book package along with Emma Miller’s Redeeming Grace. In Drexler’s tale, a criminal’s trail has brought FBI informant Bram Lapp to Ellie Miller’s Indiana community. Now he’s posing as the kind of man he once hoped to be—someone who might be worthy of Ellie. Enjoy these two sweet novels about second chances at an Amish happily-ever-after, now available as a single package!

Jim and Bill Putman’s Hope for the Prodigal was released by Baker Books. With wisdom that comes from personal experience, Jim and his father, Bill, offer brokenhearted parents and loved ones hope for their prodigals. A prodigal son himself, Jim has also found himself in the role of the prodigal’s father when his own son rejected the faith. This family’s powerful story of restoration, along with solid biblical truths and practical advice, will inspire, motivate, and equip readers to go after their lost sheep with acts of love and service.

Jordyn Redwood released Taken Hostage with Love Inspired Suspense. When neurosurgeon Regan Lockhart’s daughter is kidnapped, the abductors want to make a deal for the little girl’s life. If she wishes to ever see her child again, Regan must hand over the virus she uses in a radical cancer treatment. Can bounty hunter Colby Waterson prevent this from happening–and save his sister in the process?

Amy Sorrells‘ book How Sweet the Sound was re-released by Tyndale. This lyrical novel, set in the Gulf Coast, considers how behind the gentle facade of white pillared porches and acres of cultivated pecan orchards, family secrets can smolder. Redemption, grace, and forgiveness take center stage as old secrets and sins are finally brought to light.

New Contracts 

Cara Whitney signed with Thomas Nelson to publish Unbridled Faith, a devotional based on country living accompanied by color photographs featuring horses and other country images.

Angela Hunt and Bill Myers signed a 3-book deal with Regnery. The first book, God Stories, will be published in 2018.

Barbara Scott signed a 3-book deal with Mountain Brook Ink for The Reluctant Bride series. The three books, Dreams of My Heart, Love of My Heart, and Desires of My Heart, will be published in 2018 and 2019.

Linda Thompson signed a 3-book deal with Mountain Brook Ink. The first of the series, The Plum Blooms in Winter, will publish in January 2019.

Mary Davis signed a 3-book deal with Mountain Brook Ink for her series The Quilting Circle. The first installment will be published in July 2018.

Marjorie Jackson signed with Barbour for the publication of The Devoted Life: A Girl’s Guided Creative Journal. A follow-up to her first book, Devoted, it will publish in late 2018.

Jonathan McKee signed with Barbour for his next book, The Bullying Breakthrough. It will publish in early 2019.

Kara Powell signed a 2-book deal with Baker Books for Unleashed, which will publish in 2020, and a second untitled book to publish the following year.

Bob Welch and Dick Fosbury signed with Skyhorse Publishing for The Wizard of Foz, the never-before-told story of Dick Fosbury, a failed Oregon athlete whose new high-jump style ultimately helped him win a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and revolutionized the event so completely that no jumpers today use any other style but his.

New Clients

Dr. Donese Worden and Rev. Anthony Thompson joined WordServe Literary this month. Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Mandy Harvey, who along with WordServe client Mark Atteberry is the author of Sensing the Rhythm (due out from Howard Sept. 27), made it to the semifinals of America’s Got Talent! The singer-songwriter has been deaf since 2006, yet she has perfect pitch and kept pursuing music via her ability to feel vibrations. Her incredible story is detailed in the book, available for pre-order now.

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