Bestseller Bytes

by Daisy Maryles, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 12/13/2006

Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants had an announced 400,000-copy first printing and has been licensed in 10 foreign languages so far. PW's review praised his "lively language and casual style" and said "his spiritual depth will challenge and amaze." Publisher W reports more than 50 million units of Lucado's titles in print worldwide, in more than 23 languages. His 2007 national tour includes appearances at six Women of Faith conferences (San Antonio, Tex.; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle;D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Tampa, Fla.), with an estimated totalattendance of more than 100,000.

Bestselling author Bruce Feiler (Walking the Bible; Where God Was Born) is a fan of the new bestseller, The Faith Club. His jacket blurb noted; "Millions of Americans crave a way to have interfaith conversation but have no idea where to begin. This book is a great place to start. It is unfailingly honest, always engaging, and even suspenseful. The authors have set a path that many more will want to follow. I raced to the end to see how it all turned out. Hurrah!" Free Press did pre-publication grassroots outreach to interfaith community groups at college and religious centers. To date, there are 45,000 copies after two printings.

Family is #4 in Karen Kingsbury's Firstborn series; the final title in the series, Forever, will be released in March 2007. The Firstborn books build on characters introduced in the author's earlier Redemption series (written with relationship expert Gary Smalley). Tyndale reports nearly two million copies in print of the two series to date, including the 200,000 copies of Family. Next month, Tyndale plans to announce the details of Kingsbury's new series.

Beverly Lewis recently completed a 26-stop Brethren book tour through several western states. She also did some events in Pennsylvania, where she always draws crowds—her family heritage is Old Order Mennonite, and she does a lot of her research in this area. Her fans love that she never sits at her signings, but always stands and talks with each person. Lewis has just released a children's book, What Is Heaven Like?, that is doing very well. It's about a little boy who, after his grandma dies, asks everyone about heaven.