May 25, 2011 – Clarksville, Maryland – The Give God the Glory! nine-book series by multiple-award winning and best-selling Christian author, Kevin Wayne Johnson, continues to expand around the world. This month, the book series publisher – Writing for the Lord Ministries – officially celebrates ten years of publishing excellence.  Its founder, chief visionary, and author,  Pastor Johnson, continues to enthusiastically embrace God’s Word, not only for his life, but presents it in such a way that it is easy to grasp, encouraging his global readers to apply the principles therein for a more victorious Christian life. With current translations in FALAM, NGAWN, BURMESE, and URDA, as well as other languages under consideration, this series of books has also earned 17 literary/media awards, and counting!

In celebration of the milestone ten year anniversary, this series of books and devotionals will be featured prominently at three key events this spring/summer: (1) Book Expo America 2011, Javits Center, New York, New York, May 23-26, [BEA Author’s Studio Podcast, New Title Showcase, African-American Pavilion – Booth #4869], (2) 97^th Annual Hampton Minister’s Conference, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, June 7-8 [UMI Bookstore signing – 2 days], and (3) International Christian Retail Show, Georgia World Dome, Atlanta, Georgia, July 10-12 [Christian Small Publishers Association booth/catalogue, STL Distribution of North America booksigning – Booth #1183, International Rights Center representing by the Bluth Agency, and Christian African-American Book Sellers Association booth display].   At each these key events, and others, Pastor Johnson’s book series will minister to book buyers and readers in the five (5) primary areas of life: Through personal relationships; In the workplace; In the family; In the Local Church; and While at rest and relaxation.  All books in the series are available in print, Amazon.com (The Kindle), Print-on-Demand (P-O-D), and electronic book (e-book) formats.

Johnson’s ministry, Writing for the Lord Ministries, www.writingforthelord.org / www.writingforthelord.com, includes the series Give God the Glory! series of books and devotionals, speaking at multiple venues, teaching God’s Word, serving as faculty at numerous writer’s conferences and serving as a contributor author to several books, articles and devotionals.  Here is what others are saying about the current book series:

“This is a true act of love and service that is consistently exemplified throughout this excellent and highly recommended book.” – Kap Khen Thang, World Theological College, Yangoo Myanmar (Burma)

“A must-read for all who sincerely desire to Give God the Glory while understanding the role of the local church in that regard.” – Willie Jolley, Best-Selling Author of “A Setback is a Setup for a Comeback.”

“Kevin Wayne Johnson has delivered a much needed and important look at this compelling issue. Bravo Kevin!” – Marilyn White, Publisher and CEO, Precious Times Magazine

About the Founder, Chief Visionary & Author:

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Johnson currently lives in Clarksville, Maryland, with his wife and three teenage sons.  He founded Writing for the Lord Ministries in 2000 and is the author of the nine-book series – Give God the Glory! – winner of 17 literary /media awards, including 2010 International Best Books Awards Finalist, 2009 National Best Books Award Finalist, and 2006 & 2007 Christian  Publisher of the Year, Book Expo America, African-American Pavilion.  Johnson’s radio and television show – Give God the Glory! – has aired on VoiceAmerica.com and BlackTVOnLine.com, respectively, from 2004 to 2007, reaching a global audience.  When he is not writing, Johnson and his family are active members of CELEBRATION CHURCH @ Columbia (Maryland), where he serves as Pastor of Discipleship and on the Purpose Management Team. Johnson also serves as Secretary, National Association of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) Men’s Ministry and as adjunct professor at the National Bible College and Seminary World Outreach Center, Fort Washington, Maryland.  He attests everyday that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things!

The Give God the Glory! series of books and devotionals are distributed globally through 13 strategic distribution partners in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain and Australia, including STL Distribution of  North America – www.stl-distribution.com, INGRAM, Lushena Books – www.lushenabks.com, New Salt Distributors, and Black Christian Book Distributors, LLC – www.BlackCBC.com. Selected books in the series are available in URDA, FALAM, NGAWN, BURMESE, and RUSSIAN (under consideration).

Innovo Publishing, LLC released a new Christian title, The Price, written by Leon Newton. Many people are familiar with John 3:16 that states: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God gave us free will and we can choose to accept Him or deny Him. In The Price, several people from different backgrounds and beliefs find themselves in hell. Each person has his or her unique vices, but ultimately they are all in hell for the same reason: they refused God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Price gives an account of nine people of varied backgrounds and their decisions that resulted in their spending eternity with Satan in hell. The title is poignant, revealing the ultimate price that each of these people paid for their choices in life. Unfortunately, they discover that there are no refunds. The central character is a wealthy, arrogant man who insists that God has made a mistake. He refuses to accept the fact that he is in hell because he deserves to be there. Amused, Satan calls upon other recent residents of hell to tell the millionaire just why they are all there.

With lively and sometimes humorous dialogue, this play builds to a powerful and heated conclusion and reminds the reader to consider God’s greatest gift—salvation and an eternity with Christ. This book will encourage readers to reflect on God’s love and mercy, to speak up for Christ, and most importantly, to truly consider just what our salvation means.

“I find this play, The Price, to be a sermon in itself. In fact, it is one of the best plays I have ever read. This play explores the love of God as well as consequences for the rejection of God.

“The self-centered millionaire is obsessed with greed and arrogance and is concerned only with money and materialism. Spiritually blinded, he believes in neither God nor Satan. Blindness and obsession are enemies of the soul. If they are not eliminated or restrained, they can lead to death, which leads to hell.

“God warns, ‘The day you hear my voice, harden not your heart.’ The millionaire never heard that voice. His blind obsession led to a permanent spiritual hearing impairment and eternal punishment in hell.

“The Price is a powerful play with an important message that speaks to each of us.”
—Rev. Hubie Nelson
Tabernacle Christian Fellowship Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi

Former NFL coach and NBC’s Football Night in America analyst Tony Dungy is embarking on a book and media tour this week to promote the release of his third book with Tyndale House Publishers.
The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently is Dungy’s follow-up to Uncommon and Quiet Strength.In The Mentor Leader, co-written with Nathan Whitaker, Dungy makes a case for the importance of mentoring as a tool for transformation–both in individuals and teams.
Starting tomorrow, Dungy embarks on a nine-day book and media tour, visiting stores in New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia and Florida. The tour includes 18 book signings, including several in Christian bookstores.
Click here to read morehttp://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/newsletter/latest-etailing/21776-tony-dungy-on-mentor-tour
SOURCE: Christian Retailing

“I tried to get it published back then, but nobody would pick it up,” said Bridges. “I got a bit discouraged about it, so I laid the book to the side.”

He let the manuscript remain idle until last year. That’s when, while watching television, he heard three different ministers talk about what God had told them to do and how they had let it fall by the wayside.

“God spoke to me and told me, ‘You know what you have got to do,’” said Bridges, as he sat in his church office. “So I got the book out and begin to refine it.”

Still, the minister had no idea if or when his manuscript would get published. A breakthrough came when his daughter, Krista, the church’s music director, began working on her first recording project.

A talented singer and praise leader, Krista McKenzie, signed with Tate Publishing, a company headquartered in Mustang, Okla. McKenzie’s friend, who was working with her on the recording project, knew that in addition to music production, Tate Publishing also had an arm of the business that published books.

He suggested that Bridges submit a copy of his manuscript to the company. Bridges followed through and as the old adage goes, “the rest is history.”

Click here to read more
Source: LeaderCall.com | Charlotte Graham, countyreporter@laurelleadercall.com

MEDFORD, N.Y. – In Is She Dead Yet? The Story of How a Woman Struggled to Escape Domestic Violence and Build a New Life (published by AuthorHouse), author Lawanna Lynn Campbell provides a first-person account of living with domestic violence. She tells of a marriage filled with abuse, infidelity
and drug and alcohol abuse. This new memoir follows Campbell through her escape and includes tools and resources that other women can use to break the cycle of abuse.

Growing up with an alcoholic parent, Campbell walked on eggshells and learned to be submissive and codependent, seeking comfort and solace in Christianity and marrying at an early age. On the outside, Campbell and her husband were the perfect couple. But for nearly 23 years, she secretly endured domestic violence at the hands of her husband, who was also a business owner and church leader. Is She Dead Yet? describes the roller coaster ride of intense and violent episodes of abuse, followed by
periods of normalcy. Campbell narrates how she moved in and out of the family home as she struggled to cope with her husband’s extramarital affairs, drug and alcohol use and financial ruin. Learn what she did right, what she did wrong, the warning signs of domestic abuse and the five deadly marriage dealbreakers. Walk with her as she takes matters into her own hands and gets the legal, therapeutic and spiritual help needed to make a new life for herself.

This poignant, true story takes readers on a journey from the pulpit to the prison cell as Campbell strives to free herself from a life of pain, shame and guilt. Find out if she keeps the faith, or if she turns away from God as she faces her most devastating challenge of all.

About the Author
Lawanna Lynn Campbell is a survivor of domestic abuse. She was born in Philadelphia and attended Philadelphia public schools. Campbell graduated from Dobbins Area Vocational Technical School in 1975, ranking third in a class of more than 500 students, and also attended Temple University for a short time. She has worked in various secretarial, administrative and office supervisory positions and is currently an executive legal assistant at a major staffing company. Campbell’s lively and vibrant storytelling skills make her a sought after speaker and presenter. She has three adult children, is engaged and resides on Long Island in New York. Visit her online at: isshedeadyet.com.

AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For a complimentary copy of this book for review, members of the media can contact the AuthorHouse Promotional Services Department by calling 888-728-8467 o emailing pressreleases@authorhouse.com. (When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)

Contact Information:
Lawanna Lynn Campbell
Tel: (631) 698-2552
Email: lawanna37@hotmail.com

He challenges traditional thinking with true stories of the contrary in his autobiography CASE GAME. He says he is ready to, “Un-confuse the confused.”

Rising to the challenges, is how Allen Jones of San Francisco came to, what he describes as, the pivotal point of his life, or the Case Game; a term he borrowed from his favorite pastime, billiards.

Attending an elementary school for handicap children, Jones, quickly realized – contrary to what others at the time automatically assumed due to the nature of many of their disabilities – that his fellow classmates were all very much normal; or as he put it, “Normal minds, on top of mangled bodies.”

As a teenager, however, he felt anything but normal. With hidden, innate, homosexual desires, and a disdain for pity from those he perceived overly focused on his handicap, he struggled silently. His high school drafting instructor even at one time, recognizing a rebellious spirit, saying, “Allen, you will never get a drafting job.” Ironically, Jones turned that slight into a drafting position on his first day out of school; a profession he worked in for twenty years.

In his first attempt to get an apartment, he was told, “We already rented it.” Due to that, he was able to furnish his first apartment with a new color TV and stereo after cashing the settlement check. However, in his first apartment, a neighbor once told him in response to the playing of loud music with that same stereo, to “Shut up you crippled, nigger faggot!” From that crude statement, Jones learned to respect others.

Jones has a propensity to inspire but can be very controversial and provocative. He writes why he believes the term, “African-American” is akin to “Whites Only,” and surprisingly does not condemn, but condones the way in which today’s youth use the “N-word.”

Allen Jones is a former Bible study teacher to teenage felons and currently, a prison reform activist living in San Francisco.

Case Game: Lulu Press – Publisher
www.lulu.com/content/hardcover-book/case-game/8871423

source:
Allen Jones
Jones-allen@att.net
415-756-7733

Be Honest.

Be Beautiful.

Be Intentional.

Be Strong. Be You!

In this inspirational book by popular performers Mary Mary, the heart and faith of this urban gospel duo permeates every page and motivates young women to be the “U” that God created you to be. In it, Mary Mary reminds readers that to “Be U” has more to do with the strength God puts in our hearts than it does with how we look on the outside. It’s all about seeing ourselves as God sees us: beautiful, forgiven, cherished, and loved.

Inspired by Mary Mary’s popular songs, each message is complemented by journaling questions that make the message real, scriptures that inspire readers to grow strong, and a “Be U Affirmation” that helps readers boldly stand on the promises of God.

The mission of Mary Mary is to encourage young women to discover the true beauty that lies within, as they inspire an awareness of natural beauty and a celebration of inner uniqueness. Professing their faith in God, they consistently promote a message of strong family values and the joy of being a woman.

Order now from
Amazon.com | BarnesandNoble.com | BlackCBC.com | Books-A-Million.com | Borders.com

Spanning 40 years, Viale’s gospel career and has taken him on a journey of trial and triumph. Viale isn’t black, he is of Latino-European decent, but found the gospel touched his soul and knew he had to be a part of it no matter what. At one point he was brave enough to perform in the South while the laws of Jim Crow were still a dangerous threat.

Beyond the exciting, powerful performances, Viale also describes his spiritual experience while touring, including being witness to healings, visions and prophecies. He writes that one of the underlying messages of his testimony is “that God orchestrates the lives of those who are willing to submit to His will.” He encourages readers to forge ahead in times of hardship, when the world is intimidating and God’s plan becomes lost.

I Remember Gospel: And I Keep On Singing is a detailed and gripping journal of an unparalleled life. Viale says his hope is that the book brings readers to a new understanding about God’s presence in their lives. I Remember Gospel will appeal to anyone with a passion for history, culture and music. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider with a call to do great things will find inspiration in Viale’s journey.

Minister Gene Viale was born and raised in San Francisco. He first began singing as a child in church. He joined the legendary James Cleveland Singers at the age of 17 and began traveling throughout the U.S. He received his ministry license in 1967. He has ministered for the past 45 years and been featured on eight recording projects. Some of his Jubilee Showcase TV appearances have received Emmy Awards. Viale says he is called to share the love of God with all who hear him.

AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For a complimentary copy of this book for review, members of the media can contact the AuthorHouse Promotional Services Department by calling 888-728-8467 or emailing pressreleases@authorhouse.com.
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)
###

Minister Gene D. Viale
Tel: (916) 729-0330
Email: geneviale@prodigy.net

In Why I Stayed, Haggard will recall the choices she made after her husband, founder and senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, confessed to having engaged in sexual immoral acts nearly three years ago.

“This is my story of choosing to love my husband through some of the most difficult challenges any marriage could face,” said Haggard, who was directing New Life’s women’s ministries, teaching women of all ages and overseeing 150 women’s small groups when her husband’s immoral acts were revealed.

Out of the experience, Haggard said she has discovered a newfound passion for the central message of the Bible – the message of forgiveness and love.

After reading the manuscript, Mark Taylor, president of Tyndale House, he was “very moved by Gayle’s story.”

“It is a beautiful-though heart-wrenching-story of the crisis in her marriage and how (with the grace of God) she chose to love Ted, save her marriage, and protect her family,” he commented. “I am proud to have Why I Stayed come from Tyndale.”

Jon Farrar, Tyndale’s nonfiction acquisition director, meanwhile noted how God was already using Haggard’s story to touch the lives of thousands of people by the time the publisher met with her.

“We knew this story needed to be heard in its entirety,” he added. “It’s an amazing story of the choices Gayle made in her darkest hours and how less-than-perfect people everywhere desperately need a community that provides healing and a path to restoration.”

Tyndale House will release Why I Stayed, co-written by Angela Hunt, in January 2010 with the release of a national promotional campaign that includes an author tour.

Since returning the spotlight after years of seclusion, Gayle and Ted Haggard have been guests on numerous network, nationally-syndicated shows and cable programs. An HBO documentary titled “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” meanwhile, has aired forty times.

The Haggards currently live in Colorado Springs with two of their five children. The Haggards’ remaining three children are over the age of 18.

The Haggards have been married for more than 30 years.

source: Christian Post

In recent years, businesses have tried to capture the faith-based market that created blockbusters like The Purpose Driven Life and The Passion of the Christ. While some companies have connected with the church crowd, more have fallen flat.

Consider the Rocky loves Jesus campaign, used to promote the 2006 Sylvester Stallone film, Rocky Balboa. Marketers created church study guides for the film and mailed thousands of boxing gloves to church pastors. They even held conference calls with Stallone, in which he talked about his spiritual journey. The message didn’t work.

“I remember being on the conference call with Stallone and wondering, what does this have to do with Jesus?” said Brent High of the Third Coast Sports Foundation, which promotes faith nights at sports events.

High is featured in Faith-Based Marketing, a new book aimed at helping businesses reach the church market. Authors Greg Stielstra and Bob Hutchins say that, in a fragmented media environment, churchgoers offer great opportunities for businesses that want to reach a large audience.

Stielstra, who ran the marketing campaign for The Purpose Driven Life, says businesses have failed to take the faith-based market seriously. Instead, they’ve slapped a Christian label on their products and expected them to sell.

“The mistake they’ve made is being superficial in their attempts, saying, ‘Hey this faith stuff works, let’s do it’ instead of investigating what people of faith are really interested in,” Stielstra said. “Until you’ve done your homework you can’t expect your marketing to succeed.”

That preparation should include learning some basics of Christianity and understanding the Christian landscape.

Avoid hot-button topics

To help companies, Stielstra and Hutchins compiled a database of large churches, Christian media companies, and parachurch groups in their book and at www.faithbasedmarketing.com.

Successful faith-based marketers also know what hot buttons to avoid, Hutchins said. Some companies have offended potential customers by making small but painful mistakes, he said. Hutchins points to ads from Lowes, the home improvement centers, which relabeled Christmas trees as “Family Trees.”

That prompted an angry response from some church groups. “There are companies like Lowes who got the message,” Hutchins said.

In recent years, Hutchins, who runs an online marketing company called Buzzplant, has helped companies like General Motors and Ford make inroads in the Christian market. That includes sponsoring Christian music tours and Christian festivals. The point is to be present at large gatherings of believers, where businesses can build relationships with potential customers.

Stielstra says that even smaller business can make those kinds of connections. He suggests that they start by meeting with local ministers, and asking how their business can help a church achieve its goals.

“They’d be happy to act as consultants for the cost of a lunch,” he said.

Sponsorships make sense

Blue Coast Burrito also cultivated the church market by taking a relationship-driven approach. The Brentwood-based restaurant company is a sponsor at Christian events, in part because faith is important to the company’s owners, said Karin Hensley, director of administration for Blue Coast Burrito. But sponsoring faith-based events also makes good business sense.

“It’s a way to target churches and youth groups, who turn out to be an important demographic for us,” Hensley said. “We’ve got a lot of youth groups that we see on Wednesday nights. Sometimes, we’ve stayed open a little later to accommodate them.”

Companies that want to reach the Christian market also do well when they employ believers, said Kris Fuhr, a vice president for Provident Films, based in Franklin. She’s helped market movies such as the 2008 surprise hit Fireproof. Most of the marketers Fuhr works with are churchgoers. That gives them an advantage in reaching similar consumers.

“We are part of the market we are trying to reach, so we look at things in an authentic way,” she said.

Fuhr said that reaching faith-based markets takes time. She and her staff will work for a year to promote a film, working with churches, parachurch groups, Bible studies and religious media.

“It’s not something you can throw out there a few weeks ahead of time and hope that it sticks,” she said.

Source: Tennessean