Judson Book Hits the NASCAR Circuit; Rob Bell Tour Dates Selling Out; Harvest House Launches New Line; SAMP Ramps Up Web Publishing; Whirling Dervishes Tour East Coast

by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 10/31/2007

Judson Press drew hundreds of NASCAR fans at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this past Sunday (Oct. 28) to a pre-race signing of Before the Thunder Rolls: Devotions for NASCAR Fans by author Dale Beaver and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman. Beaver is a former Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) chaplain with NASCAR's Nextel Cup series, and Newman, driver of the No. 12 car that day, wrote the foreword for the book. Released last week, the book also features a foreword by Sunday's race winner, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 car. Before the Thunder Rolls is part of the NASCAR Library collection, and NASCAR's royalty will be donated to the NASCAR Foundation.

Rob Bell's "the gods aren't angry" tour kicks off November 5 at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, a sold-out date. Bell will speak in auditoriums, theaters and concert halls in 21 additional cities through December 2, with the final date in Grand Rapids bringing him back to his home town. (For a complete list of tour dates go to www.thegodsarentangrytour.com) Total attendance is expected to be 25,000; net proceeds of ticket sales will go to the Turame Microfinance Project directed by World Relief for aid to Burundi. Bell is the bestselling author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God for Zondervan. His "Everything is Spiritual" tour in July 2006 sold out 20 of its 21 venues.

Harvest House has launched a new line of books to "reach out to technology-driven culture as well as nontraditional believers and those searching for faith." Leading the line this January will be I'm Fine with God…It's Christians I Can't Stand by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz (Knowing the Bible 101), described as "a humorous look at some believers' outlandish behavior." Other January releases include Wrestling with Angels by Carolyn Arends, Why Guys Need God by Michael Erre, and Five Sacred Crossings by Craig J. Hazen. Harvest House has also announced the promotion of editorial managing director LaRae Weikert to v-p of editorial.

The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi from Konya, Turkey, just completed a tour (Oct. 19-26) of six East Coast cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with more than 4,300 in total attendance. At the events, New Jersey-based publisher The Light sold 1,500 copies of its titles on the Sufi poet Rumi, including Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love (May). The 13th century poet, jurist and philosopher has been called "the bestselling poet in America," with titles from many publishers remaining perennially popular.