Moody Publishers announced August 10 the appointment of Greg Thornton as senior v-p of media at Moody, effective August 15. Thornton has been senior v-p of publishing and will continue in that role during a transitional phase over the next 18-24 months. In a statement, J. Paul Nyquist, president of Moody Bible Institute, said, “As we move toward the construction of a new Global Media Center enabling increased collaboration of Moody Radio and Moody Publishers, and as media technologies continue to converge, bringing all Media under the leadership of one person is the best strategic decision.” Thornton will oversee both the radio station and the publishing house. He stated, “Both Moody Radio and Moody Publishers have been engaged in an extensive planning process over the last 18 months and we are beginning to see the first fruits of those efforts….in radio we’ve increased our effectiveness in partnering with and ministering to a more diverse audience, while in publishing we’ve created audience-focused teams that engage readers directly.”
Thomas Nelson has released its first enhanced e-book, Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by bestselling author Max Lucado, which released in print in April. The enhanced e-book augments the full digital content with audio and video, featuring video introductions by Lucado for each of seven topical sections of Max on Life, as well as one-minute audio segments embedded throughout the e-book, which released in the Apple iBooks Store and Barnes and Noble Nook Store on August 25. More than 60 percent of Max on Life content is never-before published material from Lucado's sermons, e-mails, letters and conversations, according to David Moberg, senior v-p and group publisher at Nelson. Products in the Max on Life line include the hardcover book, the enhanced e-book, standard e-book, and a small-group study kit with DVD and allied materials.
WaterBrook Multnomah author Alisa Harris and her book, Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith from Politics (Sept.) were featured on CNN’s Belief Blog on August 14. Her Op-Ed on the blog, “My Take: I Could Have Become Michele Bachmann” can be read here. Harris will be featured on the Alan Colmes Show on September 6 at 11:06 pm EST. A journalist living in New York City, in Raised Right, Harris tells the story of “disengaging from the strident culture wars without compromising her relationship with God or the deep respect she has for her parents,” according to the publisher. “The result is one woman’s journey to replace political idealism with authentic faith.”
Creation By Design has won six of the Top 50 Bestsellers slots on STL Distribution/Advocate’s spring 2012 catalogue for its Bible-based products. Creation By Design, founded in 2007 by Steven Kaye, debuted its first line of products in 2010 and has produced more than 200 original CGI biblical images, like the ones “that children are seeing in popular movies, websites and video games,” according to the company. The first three books in the Xander Nash adventure book series for grades 1-3 took the top three spots, and three of Creation By Design’s debut Bible Activity Books, with coloring pages, mazes, word and logic puzzles, were also selected. The CGI images were used as cover illustrations for all of the books.
American Bible Society and the Salvation Army have collaborated to produce The Freedom Bible, to “[honor] those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, and celebrate those who led rescue efforts,” according to ABS. Not a new translation, The Freedom Bible features more than 3,500 verses that relate to freedom, “from fear, suffering, loss, anger, guilt and more.” The Freedom Bible is currently available at Bibles.com and in Manhattan at the American Bible Society bookstore. In late September, it will also be available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, ChristianBooks.com, and in LifeWay and Family Christian stores. For more information, visit UncoverFreedom.com.
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