Evangelical author Jen Hatmaker, whose 2015 book For the Love has sold over 300,000 copies, topped our Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list with her newest release, Of Mess and Moxie. Marketing and publicity for the book, which is subtitled “Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life,” included a pre-order campaign that featured free bonus material, a digital ad campaign on Facebook, e-blasts, and sponsored blog posts. In addition to launching a new podcast, For the Love with Jen Hatmaker, the author appeared on national Christian and mainstream media outlets such as Redbook, Time, Publishers Weekly, and on the Today Show's parenting blog. Of Mess and Moxie has sold more than 50,000 copies across all editions since its Aug. 8 release, according to Nelson Books.

Chrystal Evans Hurst, who is the daughter of author and pastor Dr. Tony Evans, and the sister of author Priscilla Shirer, debuted on PW’s Religion Nonfiction chart at #3 with She's Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You. The memoir on finding and pursuing a purpose in life was selected for an online Bible study hosted by Proverbs 31—a women’s ministry—from Sept. 5 to Oct. 13. The study has attracted over 58,000 registrants in recent weeks, according to Zondervan.

Following her sister, Priscilla Shirer took #6 in Religion Nonfiction with Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks, the first devotional from the bestselling author of 2016’s bestseller, Fervent. Although Shirer did not promote the book in the media, LifeWay Christian Stores ran an exclusive pre-sale discount on Awaken the month before it published, and B&H promoted the book on awakendevo.com, which featured previews of its content and discounts.

In Fiction, Wanda Brunstetter took #2 with her latest Amish romance, The Blessing. Marketing and publicity for the title included a pre-sale special that featured a free downloadable bookmark, Amish recipes, printable photos from Amish Country, and a free preview of Brunstetter’s next book. Further, Barbour sent emails to subscribers of Brunstetter’s mailing list and advertised in Amish tourist destination publications.

This article has been updated with a correction to Hatmaker's media appearances.