Bestseller Bytes
by Daisy Maryles, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 7/23/2008
Since its release in 2004, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson) has been a bestseller for Christian independent stores. The book has grown in popularity through grassroots buzz. In fact, the Christian rock band 33Miles (www.33milesonline.com) recorded a song called "Jesus Calling." They read Jesus Calling together while out on the road and it moved them to write a song.
Last fall, Barbour announced a seven-year, multi-book contract with its bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter. "Wanda has received a lot of positive feedback over the years from the Amish community about her writing," said Barbour fiction editor Rebecca Germany. Her latest, Allison's Journey, had a 75,000-copy first printing and has gone back to press for 16,000 more. Her husband was raised in the Mennonite church, and through their Mennonite friends, she first became acquainted with the Amish. "My main goal in my writing is to help people understand the Amish people better," she says on her Web site. "Many people see them as an oddity, and they are different in the way they dress and their way of life. But they are not different in their hearts." Brunstetter's books about the Amish have sold more than 2.1 million copies.
Don Piper has been on a nearly nonstop book tour since 90 Minutes in Heaven came out four years ago. And it shows. "Sales last year were the best since the book came out, and our warehouse continues to ship more than 20,000 books a week," reports Revell publicity manager Deonne Beron. Revell has just licensed the book to Brazil for Portuguese translation, adding to the more than 30 languages that the book is published in. The book is also available through the Sony Kindle and will soon be available on cell phones through Global Reader, a part of Macmillan Publishing.
Bethany reports that Beverly Lewis's books have sold more than 10 million copies. Several of her books have been made into movies, including Saving Sarah Cain, a bestseller on DVD. In a publisher q&a, the author talks about the strong appeal of her books: "My readers continue to be fascinated by my Amish settings and characters. I receive many letters each week from readers who love my books because they remind them of a less complicated time, cause them to reevaluate the hectic pace of their own lives, and enjoy the simple pleasures of home, faith, and family."
