CONGRATULATIONS to Young David as he prepares to leave Crafty Publishing to take up residence in a new home with SPCK who, I’m told, have promised him a much grander palace to share with his muse, Fiona Veitch Smith, and his artistic director, Amy Warmington (née Barnes). Fiona herself is delighted by the development and has … Continue reading
Lucy Mills is another of the many Christian writers I’ve met via ACW, the Association of Christian Writers facebook group, and it’s been a privilege getting to know her via social media, following her on twitter and via her blog as she reflects on what it means to be a follower of Jesus “in a distracted world”. Read on to meet her for yourself… Continue reading
SOME STORIES need to be told and need to be heard — this, I think, is one of them. I met Deborah in my days as manager of the bookshop at London School of Theology: she was a regular in the bookshop. Little did I know that one day she’d be one of the growing … Continue reading
IF, LIKE ME, you’re a fan of Fiona Veitch Smith’s Young David series then you’ll love this news: the Young David app (mentioned in my previous post, Out Now! David and the Grumpy King) is on its way, release date 24th April — and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it did: you’ll be able to download book 1, David and the Hairy Beast, free for the first seven days!
I’d tell you more, but far better if I hand over to Fiona… Continue reading
EVERY NOW AND THEN an author simply blows you away: great stories, great storytelling (the two are not the same) and stunning illustrations bringing the stories to life. That’s what Fiona Veitch-Smith’s Young David series with illustrations by Amy Barnes brings us, a winning combination for children and their parents alike, as well as for those … Continue reading
A NEW YEAR is upon us, and what better way to kick-start that year than a new instalment in our growing Meet the Author series? I met Paul Alkazraji online via ACW, the Association of Christian Writers facebook group. He told me about his debut novel, The Silencer (Highland Books, 2012), so I fired off a few questions and invited him to tell us more. This is the result… Continue reading
EVERY NOW AND THEN, by dint of its cover, a book leaps out at me from that ever-growing pile known as ‘Reviews Pending’. This is one of them, a perennial Christmas classic given a new lease of life by St Mark’s Press, with artwork by Roger Langridge that would do any Discworld novel proud if Terry … Continue reading
AUTHENTIC MEDIA have withdrawn the Christian bestseller Taming the Tiger from sale following an Evangelical Alliance investigation which concluded that “large sections of the book… which claim to tell the true story of Tony Anthony’s life, do not do so.” The extent of the alleged falsifications within the book — which include changed names and unverifiable claims about the author’s life as well as evidence of plagiarism — was reported at some length by Gavin Drake at the beginning of this month: Globe-trotting “Kung-Fu Bodyguard” evangelist investigated over biography lies (CrossWire, 1/7/2013). Continue reading
CONGRATULATIONS to Luke Bretherton, winner of this year’s Michael Ramsey Prize for his book, Christianity and Contemporary Politics (9781405199698, January 2010, Wiley-Blackwell, £20.99), announced on Tuesday at the Telegraph Hay Festival and presented by Lord Williams (Rowan Williams) of Oystermouth, former Archbishop of Canterbury. Describing the book, Lord Williams said, Luke Bretherton’s book is a systematic overview of what … Continue reading
A ROUNDUP of news & views from the Christian booktrade. This time around: CLC’s instore magazine, Take Note, trials in other shops; Dernier Publishing’s latest newsletter; eBooks for Indies as Kobo strikes a deal with the Booksellers Association; Mark Stibbe’s “Opening the Father’s Presents” placed on hold by Authentic; A bright and shiny new Website for Alban Books; and good news for children’s writers & publishers: parents & kids prefer print over ebooks… Continue reading
