A multiple Dove Award winner, including for Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year, Brandon Heath releases his third album, Leaving Eden, Jan. 18 on Reunion Records.

Was having written the Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for 2009 (“Give Me Your Eyes”) added pressure when it came to the next recording?

A little bit. I remember the first day going in to write for the new record, I wrote with Jason Ingram, the guy that I wrote “Give Me Your Eyes” with. There was pressure for both of us, I think, because we have a big song (and) it kind of feels like everyone is just expecting you to write another one. And for me, I hate writing under pressure. So we sat down in a studio and prayed and thought, well, whatever the message is on this next song should be simple. We don’t need to embellish anything, let’s just tell the truth.

Your new album is simply titled—Move. How did you come up with the name?
(Tai Anderson) We were answering the question from "Revelation" (the title track from our last album), which says, "Tell me, should I stay here or do I need to move?" and we really liked the idea of go, move-put your faith into action.

GRAMMY- and GMA Dove Award-winning band Third Day sees the release of Move (Essential Records/Provident Label Group/Provident-Integrity Distribution) on Oct. 19. Frontman Mac Powell, bass player Tai Anderson, drummer David Carr and guitarist Mark Lee talked with Christian Retailing about the latest recording.

Dr. Don Colbert, author of the best-selling “Bible Cure” health series, turns his attention to children with this month’s release of Eat This and Live! for Kids (Siloam/Strang Book Group).

What prompted this new book?

The skyrocketing rate of obesity and obesity-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes among children are reaching epidemic proportions. As a result, today’s kids are the first generation in American history who are expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. We’re releasing this book in an effort to educate parents.

Jars of Clay Presents The Shelter--releasing Oct. 5--is the best-selling band's 11th studio project. Rhythm guitarist Matt Odmark (right in group photo) talks about the project on behalf of the band, whose other members are lead singer Dan Haseltine, pianist Charlie Lowell and lead guitarist Stephen Mason.

To which of your past albums would you compare the new release?

Probably the best comparison for The Shelter to any of our past projects would be The Redemption Songs, as these are really the only two projects Jars of Clay has ever produced where we are having a direct conversation with the church primarily. Most of our music and our art are aimed at a more general conversation, people that find that they have a faith or people that don't, or people that are just interested in music that explores the deeper issues of life and touches on those places that are universal and that are uniquely human, so that's kind of in general what most of our career has been about.

Missionary Sarah Young has written a children’s edition of her best-selling devotional Jesus Calling. Thomas Nelson releases Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids this month.

How did the idea of a children’s version of Jesus Calling come about?

More than anything, we hear that Jesus Calling touches people’s hearts by taking scripture and sharing it in language that helps people experience Jesus’ presence. Children desire that same relational experience with the Lord and that is what I hope we’ve provided in this 365-day devotional. Creating a children’s version allows Jesus Calling to be a family experience so that children and parents will receive the same devotional theme each day.

Was it easy to convey the same messages to younger readers?

Because the devotionals are based on Scripture, we were able to take the thoughts for each day and simplify some of the language and examples. The core of the message remains true to the Bible text and is accessible to all ages.

What led to the publication of Jesus Calling?

In 1996 I followed a two-hour retreat guide based on Matt. 14:22-23, where Jesus calls Peter to walk on the water with Him. Toward the end of this retreat time, I encountered the question: What is Jesus calling you to do that feels as impossible as walking on water? I knew the answer immediately—write for publication. So I made a commitment to do this, even though I had no idea what I would write. Three years earlier I had begun “listening” to Jesus first thing in the morning, writing down what I heard (or saw) in my mind. I began to compile the best of these writings into daily readings. These eventually became Jesus Calling.

When did you first realize it connected with people so powerfully?

I realized this several years before it was published. With my permission, friends made copies of my manuscript and gave it out to others, who also made copies to give out. Then, after Jesus Calling was published, I was astonished to hear people say time after time: “Each day’s reading seems to be written just for me.” These and similar comments came from such a diverse range of people that I realized God’s Spirit was working powerfully to accomplish this.

Have you been surprised by its success?

Yes. I was hoping Jesus Calling would sell steadily for a long time, but I wasn’t expecting it to become a best-seller. I’m thankful and amazed!

Where has your missionary calling taken you?

We have lived and worked on two continents, in two countries and in two cities in each country. In Japan we worked in the Tokyo area and in Suzuka—a much smaller city. The two cities in Australia are Melbourne and Perth—on opposite coasts of the continent.

Where are you serving now and with whom?

We currently live in Australia, where we work with the Presbyterian Church of Western Australia—doing church planting.

Will there be more writing projects?

I am doing a little writing these days, but I cannot commit myself to a writing project until my health improves.

You have been struggling with sickness recently?

Since 2001 I have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease and primary hyperparathyroidism. I’m convinced that the prayers of God’s people have kept me going—and kept me writing.

Which devotional writers and books have enriched your own life?

Streams in the Desert; Andrew Murray’s devotional books in “The Secret” series; The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence; Frank Laubach’s letters; God Calling.

A youth pastor in Oceanside, Calif., Jim Britts is the scriptwriter for the inspirational teen drama To Save a Life, released in theaters earlier this year and available on DVD this month from Affirm Films, Sony Pictures' faith-based movie division.

How did the movie do at theaters?

"Relatively well. We were in just over 750 theaters between the U.S. and Canada for about three months total. The feedback has been unbelievable. There are 155,000 Facebook friends, and stories are still going up every day on our Web site about how the film impacted them."

What sort of stories?

"From people that shared how the film saved them from not attempting suicide or inspired them to stop cutting. There are also many people who now feel empowered to reach out to the hurting and lonely in their worlds."

Are there any extras with the DVD?

"There are several deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes video, a couple of music videos, a blooper reel and a running commentary."

What additional/ancillary resources are available?

"We made a youth curriculum that thousands of groups have used that goes along with the film. It's really based off the belief that you're never more like Jesus than when you are reaching out to the hurting and lonely. A second youth curriculum is set to come out in August as well.

"There is also an adult curriculum, "To Save a Family," that an entire church can go through using the film. We also created Devo2 Go, which comes from the movie. It's a devotional that you listen to on your mp3 player.

"There's a nonfiction book helping teens live lives where they can make a difference. Finally my wife and I wrote the novel, and a sequel novel will be coming out this October."

Any plans for a follow-up?

"Yeah, I think so. I can't tell you much except the new script is about empowering people to help orphans around the world find families to live with. We're really excited."

How do you balance film-making with pastoring young people?

"I'm learning. I love it when the two really cross over. Not only was the film great in reaching teens, but it was also the best opportunity our youth group has ever had in reaching teens. I've definitely learned that I'm a youth pastor first and then also a screenwriter/author. It's really cool to see how God loves to break the mold and have very unique callings on our lives. I love being able to share that with students and be a dream giver in their lives."

What do you think of the Christian resources for teens that are on the market?

"There are some great ones. I really believe that if a teen isn't in love with the church and in love with the Word of God by the time they graduate, then they are probably a goner once they are done with high school. We need to keep creating ways for students to read the Bible on their own and get connected with the whole church."

Centricity Records (EMI CMG Distribution) releases Andrew Peterson's latest album-Counting Stars-on July 27. Learn more about this singer-songwriter and what he's been up to since his last original release, Resurrection Letters, Volume II, in fall 2008.

How would you describe your career and your music thus far?
"It's funny, you would think by now I would have come up with a good answer for that, but I don't have a good answer for that. I call it ‘guy with a guitar' music sometimes. It's kind of folk music, but they are just songs. They are songs that tend to be about my life and the lives of those around me. Because I am a Christian, Jesus occupies the biggest part of that. On my best days I am always trying to write either a James Taylor song or a Rich Mullins song-and failing miserably."

Co-creator of VeggieTales and now vice president of creative development for Big Idea, Mike Nawrocki oversaw the production of the July release VeggieTales: Sweetpea Beauty-A Girl After God's Own Heart, the first-ever episode just for girls.

What's different about this release?
It's our first ever VeggieTales episode just for girls. We've done stories in the past with female leads-Madame Blueberry, Esther-but we wanted to deal with an issue in this episode that girls especially face in this culture-beauty. How does the world around us define beauty compared with how God defines beauty?

Mainstream thriller and Hollywood script writer Andrew Klavan’s young adult “Homelanders” series has been optioned for a movie, as the April 2009 hardcover debut title, The Last Thing I Remember, is released in softcover this month.

Are you concerned that some of the faith element may be lost in the film?

“You hope it will stay true to the original, especially the theme and the ideas, but you really don’t have a lot of power. ... Summit Entertainment made the “Twilight” books (into films) that had a definite undercurrent of faith and morality, and they kept that stuff in. There is always a danger with this in Hollywood.”

With a long and successful mainstream career, what brought you to Christian publishing?

“What brought me to Christian publishing was I became a Christian myself, which I hadn’t been. I was born and raised a Jew and lived many years as an agnostic, even an atheist for a while, so it was a very slow conversion. ... So when Thomas Nelson contacted me and asked me if I was interested in working in the young-adult (genre), I just loved that, and before they finished the sentence, I said, yes, I’m interested.”

How has writing for the Christian market been for you, as your mainstream work is known for being quite gritty?

“Working in young-adult novels, the vision tends to be a little softer anyway. I don’t deal with the same kinds of subjects with young people that I deal with for adults. It’s just not the same market, so in that way I fit in. I do sometimes feel that there is a narrowness to the Christian market that can hurt storytelling, and I’ve worked very hard to keep my stories immensely exciting, very fast-moving.”

How has coming to faith changed your writing?

“This really surprises me more than anyone. ... One of my great fears as I was struggling with the issues of faith was I didn’t want to lose my sense of realism. You can’t tell stories about life if you don’t see life as it is, in my opinion. The funny thing is that I found that embracing faith has made my view much more realistic. ... I have found that by embracing Christianity has made my worldview much more realistic ... understanding people much deeper, on the one hand, and I think much more compassionate on the other, so I have been very happy with the work I have produced since my conversion. It really has been an absolute pleasant surprise.”

For an exclusive, extended audio interview, visit the Christian Retailing book blog at www.christianretailing.com.