Friday, April 30, 2010

Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee for new trilogy

This just in from Ted Dekker's Facebook page:

Is it possible to write a story that eclipses the scope and impact of The Circle Series? Ted thinks so and he said as much at the Chicago Gathering on Saturday. In fact, he dropped a bombshell to the collective gasp of the 300 people in the room. Not only does he think it's possible, but it's already being written for a Summer 2011 release from Hachette Book Group.

It's entitled Forbidden and it's unlike any Dekker story you've read to date.

For those who weren't there to see the video trailer on Saturday, here is the synopsis:

Four hundred eighty years have passed since civilization's brush with extinction. Perfect order reigns. Humanity's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no disease, no malice, no hate, no war. There is only peace.

Until the day when one man discovers the truth: Every single soul walking the earth is actually dead. The human heart has been stripped of all that makes it human. Now only he is alive and only he has the knowledge that can once again awaken humanity.

But the way is treacherous and the cost is staggering. For, indeed, in that day life itself is...Forbidden.


But this is going to be different, Ted explained. To pull this story off right would require a unique blend of Dekker style thrills and grit told with masterful prose like he's never delivered before. It would mean going beyond himself in a completely new way. It would mean collaborating with someone as unique and edgy as he is to create something better than he could on his own.

So the search began to find that one writer to elevate this story and make it larger than life. We thought it was an order too big to fill and we almost gave up. Then we found her.

Those at the Gathering met her already, but now we'd like to introduce you because you're going to hear a lot more about the extremely talented Tosca Lee very soon. Trust us.

For those who are unacquainted with her, Tosca is the acclaimed novelist of the groundbreaking (and controversial) books Demon and Havah. She's also working on a novel about Judas...told in first person. If you met her you might think she is the long lost female side of Ted. And you might be right.

She's grit and beauty in one package and has a way of finessing the English language in a way that's best described as lyrical.

Forbidden is the first in the series that will likely become a trilogy. The collaboration process is unlike anything he's done before. It had to be. Ted said that it had to be seamless and feel 100% Dekker or the world would never see it. As a collaborative title, it will be completely different than House, Kiss, or Burn.

More details will be released soon about this exciting venture and you'll be the first to hear about it right here. We haven't seen Ted this consumed with a story since the Circle. And if that's any indication of what's to come we should all get ready for the ride ahead.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010 Christy Award nominees announced!

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The Christy Advisory Board is pleased to announce nominees in nine categories for the 2010 Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction. The Christy Awards will be conferred in advance of the International Christian Retailing Show at a ceremony at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, Sat., June 26, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Author and entrepreneur Lisa Samson, a two-time Christy Award winner and seven-time nominee, will present the keynote address.

Tickets to the event are $30. For more information about the awards reception and to make reservations (beginning Apr. 30), visit the Christy Award website at http://www.christyawards.com.

The 2010 Christy Award nominees are:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
  • Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers

  • How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

  • Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus • Barbour Publishing


CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS
  • Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson

  • The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

  • Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth • Zondervan


CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE
  • June Bug by Chris Fabry • Tyndale House Publishers

  • The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson

  • Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle • Tyndale House Publishers


FIRST NOVEL
  • The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry • Moody Publishers

  • Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers

  • Scared by Tom Davis • David C. Cook


HISTORICAL
  • A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

  • Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

  • The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey • Revell Books: a Division of Baker Publishing Group


HISTORICAL ROMANCE†
  • Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

  • A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

  • The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander • Thomas Nelson

  • The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group


SUSPENSE
  • Intervention by Terri Blackstock • Zondervan

  • Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon & Schuster

  • The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group


VISIONARY
  • By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press

  • The Enclave by Karen Hancock • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

  • Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik • Tyndale House Publishers


YOUNG ADULT
  • Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma • Thomas Nelson

  • The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason • David C. Cook

  • North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group


†Historical Fiction includes four nominees due to a tie in scoring.

View this press release as a PDF: http://ajast.com/ChristyNomineesPR2010.pdf

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Frank Peretti signs with Howard Books

According to Christian Retailing, Frank Peretti has signed with Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

Howard has announced they will publish a new novel by Peretti in 2011. The novel is as yet unnamed but according to vice President and editor in chief Becky Nesbitt, "We believe the book will captivate readers in much the same way as his New York Times best-selling titles This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness."

Read the full piece at Christian Retailing here.