The Karmapa Lands at Wisdom

Wisdom publications acquired U.S., Canadian, and open market rights to a working title by Ogyen Trinley Dorje, His Holiness the Karmapa, to be published in February 2017. The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyu, which is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Drawing on the Karmapa’s Buddhist training, Interconnected: Living Wisely in a Global Society will use accessible terms to show “how harnessing the power of our thoughts and emotions can make us far more effective as agents of positive social transformation,” according to the publisher.

Karen Ehman Re-Ups With Zondervan

Bestselling author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Karen Ehman (Pressing Pause and Keep It Shut) signed a new two-book deal with Zondervan. The yet-to-be-titled books, which will publish in February of 2018 and August of 2019, were acquired by Sandra Vander Zicht, associate publisher and executive editor of Zondervan, and Ehman’s agent Meredith Brock brokered the deal. The new titles will join Ehman’s Listen, Love, Repeat and Zip It, coming from Zondervan in November 2016 and February 2017, respectively.

Big Mama Closes Double at Zondervan

Melanie Shankle, founder of the popular Big Mama blog and whose past books on parenting, marriage and friendship published by Tyndale have sold about 67,000 print units according to Nielsen BookScan, sold a new trade book to Zondervan. The yet-to-be titled book is set to release in August 2017 and offers "women of all ages the grace to embrace what it means to live a seemingly small, yet incredibly meaningful life," according to the publisher. Further, Shankle has signed up for a second trade book, a DVD curriculum, and a gift devotional with Zondervan. Shankle’s upcoming trade titles were acquired by Carolyn McCready, executive editor for Zondervan. Lisa Jackson of Alive Literary is Shankle’s literary agent.

RWW Nabs The Dalai Lama, Pope Francis

Red Wheel/Weiser’s (RWW) editor Greg Brandenburgh acquired world rights to The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Mysticism, edited by Renuka Singh. The small-format book, slated to publish in October 2017, collects the Dalai Lama’s thoughts on the mystical life and includes quotes from His Holiness as well as an introduction and a glossary.

The publishing house also acquired North American rights from HarperCollins U.K. to Pope Francis’ Little Book of Compassion, edited by Andrea Kirk Assaf. The follow-up to Pope Francis’ Little Book of Wisdom, the gift book is a collection of Pope Francis’ teachings on the topics of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. Pope Francis’ Little Book of Compassion is slated to publish in March 2017.

Bass Sticks With HarperOne

Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion and Grounded, both published at HarperOne, signed with the publisher once more in a two-book deal. Foundry Literary + Media's Roger Freet brokered the agreement with editor Kathryn Renz Hamilton. The first book, Deeply Grateful, is scheduled to publish in April 2018 and will "pinpoint the gap between our desire to live grateful lives and the inconsistency in our behavior," according to the publisher.

Four Deals for FaithWords

Debut author Shauna Letellier sold world rights to her Remarkable Faith series to FaithWords in a two-book deal. Dan Balow of the Steve Laube Agency represented Letellier and brokered the deal with FaithWords editor Adrienne Ingrum. Letellier, the founder of the Permission to be Real blog, shares experiences of characters from the Bible in an effort to inspire and encourage Christians who wonder if their faith is a disappointment to God because they're not performing "ark-building, sea-crossing" acts of faith. The first book in the Remarkable Faith series is expected to publish in May 2017.

In a world rights deal, International Latino Book Award nominee Karen Valentin signed a two-book contract with Faithwords. Book one, entitled The Mother God Made Me to Be, will release in trade paperback in April 2017, while the untitled second book will release in September 2017. The Mother God Made Me to Be chronicles Valentin’s experiences, first with marriage and motherhood, and then with single motherhood, detailing how each change deepened her faith.

Set to publish in time to commemorate the 400th anniversary year of William Shakespeare’s death, Faithwords acquired Holy Shakespeare! 101 Bible Verses That Appear in Shakespeare’s Plays, Poems, and Sonnets by Maisie Sparks. The book, which will publish on October 4, features 101 passages from Shakespeare's works paired with the Scripture it refers to. Sparks is also the author of 101 Things God Can’t Do and 101 Things the Devil Can’t Do (Thomas Nelson).

In a fourth deal at FaithWords, Bible publishing veteran Doris Rikkers sold world rights to an untitled book on the Holy Spirit, slated for publication in June 2017. Rikkers developed and edited all NIV Bibles released by Zondervan from 1977 to 1994, and her book will feature “stories from the Bible that show the Spirit at work and what they reveal about God,” according to FaithWords.

Baker's Academic Imprint Adds Yale Professor

Brazos Press, a division of Baker Publishing Group, signed a one-book deal with Miroslav Volf, the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and founding director of Yale Center for Faith & Culture (YCFC). Co-authored by Matthew Croasmun, associate research scholar at YCFC, the book argues "that theology is today the very discipline we need most in order to address our most urgent questions," according to Robert N. Hosack, executive editor at Brazos Press.

HarperOne Picks Up 'How to Pray'

Michael Maudlin at Harper One acquired a new title by James Martin, the Jesuit priest who served as Official Chaplain of the Colbert Nation on The Colbert Report and the author of Seven Last Words. Set to publish in March 2018, the new book, How to Pray, "explores how prayer impacts us personally, socially, and spiritually," according to the publisher. The deal was brokered by Donald Cutler at Bookmark Literary Agency.