Ruby Case, a disabled mother of two boys—and a prayer warrior for her community—just wanted to stay out of the limelight, and she is successful at doing so, that is until she unexpectedly raises a young boy from the dead. The people of the quiet coastal town of Stonetree wonder if it truly was a miracle.

His heart hardened by tragedy, the Rev. Ian Clark isn’t sure he believes in miracles anymore, but he is determined to find out. With the help of a few friends, Case and Clark uncover more secrets than they bargained for. Case’s town is ruled by demonic powers, and it’s up to a faithful few to stand together to expose and defeat the forces that have held their town captive for years.

Duran’s debut novel is full of characters having premonitions, seeing apparitions and engaging in occult practices. It is terrifying, but it’s also engaging and an eye-opener for the church, aiming to demonstrate that spiritual warfare is still a reality today. The Resurrection will appeal to readers of supernatural suspense and fans of authors such as Ted Dekker and Eric Wilson.

—Sarah Stegall

The Resurrection  

Mike Duran  

Realms (Strang Book Group)

978-1-616-38204-9

February 2011

Christian retail offers for the week of Jan. 3

Shoppers with an eye for making personal changes are the focus of two offers.

Parable encourages people to “Shape Up Your Soul, Body & Finances,” offering The One Year Bible in NLT and NIV editions for $14.97 each (usual price $18.99). 31 Days to a Younger You by Arlene Pellicane is reduced from $11.99 to $9.97 while Fit For My King by Sheri Rose Shepherd, usually $12.99, is available for $10.97.

Parable's promotion also features Ellie Kay's The 60 Minute Money Workout, reduced from $14.99 to $12.97 and includes a coupon for free shipping on online orders of $40 or more.

Mardel Christian & Education leads its emailing with the One Year Bible God Sightings editions, available in NLT and NIV, for $9.99. The same price is given to The Daily Bible, NIV. Mardel also presents the deluxe, bonded leather edition of Jesus Calling by Sarah Young for $9.99, down from $19.99, and a selection of spiral journals for $5 each.

Family Christian Stores introduces its 2011 Book of the Year, Francis Chan's Crazy Love, at $11.24, reduced from $14.99. The 4-CD audio edition is reduced from $19.99 to $14.99. The chain also features Chan's The Forgotten God for $11.24. Jentezen Franklin's Fasting, with a bonus CD/DVD, is offered for $11.99, a saving of $8 on the regular price.

LifeWay Christian Stores' music emailing presents a selection of $5 CDs, among them BarlowGirl's Love & War, Point of Grace's How You Live, Deluxe Edition and Mandisa's True Beauty. Brandon Heath's forthcoming Leaving Eden is priced at $9.99 for pre-purchase, down from $13.99. The promotion also offers Priscilla Shirer's forthcoming book, Life Interrupted, for pre-buy at $9.99, with a free copy of her One In A Million, through Feb. 28.

Christianbook.com prices Kara Williamson's CD, Undisguised, at $1.99 (regular price $13.99). Book offers include Dr. Don Colbert's Eat This and Live! For Kids for $9.99, down from $17.99, and Bill Hybels' Too Busy Not To Pray hardcover club edition for $4.99 from $15.

Christian retail offers for the week of Dec. 20

Last-minute Christmas deals can be found aplenty, with Family Christian Stores leading the way with a bumper promotion offering savings of up to 50% on a wide range of products.

Among the half-off items are children's titles including Stephen Elkins' 100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs (from $19.99 to $9.99) and top adult titles including Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover: Revised Third Edition ($24.99 to $12.49) and Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotional ($16.99 to $8.49).

The chain also has all sweatshirts and Christmas tees at half-price, while Bibles are reduced up to 40%, including the NIV Adventure Bible, available for $16.70 (regular price, $27.99). Boxed fiction is marked down 20%, pricing Karen Kingsbury's “Above the Line” set at $35.99 (regularly $44.99) and Janette Oke's “Love Comes Softly,”: books 5-8, for $41.59 ($51.99).

Parable leads its promotion with Jesus Calling specials, pricing the imitation leather edition at $14.97 for online shoppers, down from $18.99. The children's edition is available for $19.97 online, reduced from $14.99. Bodie & Brock Thoene's The Gathering Storm, the first in their new “Zion Dairies” series, is offered for $12.97 (usual price, $14.99).

Mardel Christian & Education is taking an additional 25% off all framed art and offering a 50% reduction on ESV Study Bibles. The chain also has graphic tees from Kerusso for $9.99 and select CDs available for $5 each. They include Toby Mac's Portable Sounds, Kutless' Strong Tower and Jeremy Camp's Speaking Louder Than Before.

Berean Christian Stores promotes the final days of its Christmas Bucks program which gives discounts on January shopping for December purchases. Included in the emailing is an additional coupon offering 15% off purchases between $35 and $75, 20% off $75-$125 and 25% off $125-plus.

Daniel Harrell, senior minister of Colonial Church, Edina, Minn., wanted to do more than preach about Leviticus—he wanted to live it. He records his online Levites-for-a-month experiment in How to Be Perfect: One Church’s Audacious Experiment in Living the Old Testament Book of Leviticus.

Harrell and a likeminded group of 18 church members share insights into their desire to be holy and their need for much grace. Although the pastor admits he doesn’t always understand Levitical law concerning food, clothing and skin disease, he explains such regulations are given because God wants to be involved in every area of life.

The book, which will appeal to younger readers, vacillates between a serious attempt at holiness and an excuse for lightheartedness. However, Harrell addresses with insight some social issues such as homosexuality and poverty. He also successfully relates Jesus’ teaching to Old Testament law, and underscores getting to the heart of God’s commands rather than mere appearances.

Readers of similar titles such as A.J. Jacobs’ The Year of Living Biblically may be interested to see how Harrell’s congregation approached the subject, and how the church used social media to start this movement.

—Eilene Ishler

How to Be Perfect

Daniel M. Harrell

FaithWords

hardcover, 224 pages, $19.95

978-0-446-55717-7

January 2011

Christian retail offers for the week of Dec. 13

Christmas savings are the big emphasis, as Berean Christian Stores promotes its Christmas Bucks program. The chain is offering $10 to spend in January for every $50 spent through Dec. 24. Its email promotion also includes a coupon for 50% off a second Bible with the purchase of one at regular price, through Dec. 20.

LifeWay Christian Stores offers a coupon for 33% off one regularly priced item in its Last Minute Sale, Dec. 17-18, while Family Christian Stores presents a coupon for 25% off a customer's entire purchase, valid through Jan. 2, 20011. Family also announces extended shopping hours, Dec. 19, noon-7 p.m.; Dec. 20-23, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Dec 24, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Berean's emailing highlights Bible savings, with 30% off select NIVs and 25% of NLT editions. LifeWay spotlights DVDs for Christmas gifts—The Blind Side reduced from $19.98 to $15.99 and Amish Grace down from $22.98 to $18.38.

Family focuses on children's products, with savings of up to 50%. The Voyage of the Dawntreader Movie Tie-In Edition Box Set of C.S. Lewis' seven “Narnia” books is priced at $45 and Fisher-Price's Little People Nativity set is available for $29.97 (regular price, $39.99).

Parable stores include a coupon for $5 off an online purchase of $20 or more through Dec. 18. The email highlights "Stories of Enduring Love< featuring the first two titles in Karen Kingsbury's "Timeless Love" series for $12.97 each. The same price is offered for the first release in Brock and Bodie Thoene's new ?Zion Diaries" series, The Gathering Storm.

Michael Phillips pens an adventurous tale of amateur harpist Angel Marie Buchan and her encounter with the townspeople of a Scottish village full of dark secrets.

A widow, 40-year-old Marie fulfills her dream to visit the land of the Celts. Traveling from her home in Canada, she finds herself drawn to the fishing village of Port Scarnose and extends her stay when her harp captures the interest of Gwendolyn, a savant with a degenerative disease, and the curate, Iain Barclay. Marie becomes entangled in the folklore around Gwendolyn's birth, and learns that both the curate and the duke were in love with Gwendolyn's mother, who died in childbirth.

Christian Retailing News Editor Eric Tiansay talks with Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis' stepson and executive producer of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader—to be released Dec. 10 by Walden Media and 20th Century Fox.

Executer of the C.S. Lewis estate, Gresham—also co-producer of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, the first two installments of “The Chronicles of Narnia” movie series—discusses the importance of box-office support for Dawn Treader from the faith-based community, including Christian retailers and churches. Listen below.

{mp3}Narniaedited{/mp3}

Countless books have been written about the evidence for the resurrection. However, few skillfully and fairly defend both sides of the case as British barrister (attorney) Foster does in The Jesus Inquest: The Case for and against the Resurrection of the Christ.

A tutor at the University of Oxford, Charles Foster employs characters X and Y, who represent the author’s own internal debate. While X presents the non-Christian view, Y defends the Christian view. Leaving no source untouched, Foster not only combs through the Gospels and Acts, but also delves into Gnostic texts, ancient Roman and Jewish historical documents and even the Koran.

Christian retail offers for the week of Dec. 6

Chris Tomlin's new And If Our God Is For Us... continues to be featured, leading Parable's weekly offers with a sale price of $11.97. The album's regular price of $13.99 is also reduced by $2 by LifeWay Christian Stores.

Music is a big emphasis all round, with LifeWay also presenting Amy Grant's Somewhere Down the Road ($10, down from $13.99), Third Day's Move (from $13.99 to $9.99) and Natalie Grant's Love Revolution (from $18.98 to $9.99).

Both Grants' releases are also spotlighted by Mardel Christian & Education, priced at $9.99 each along with Hillsong's A Beautiful Exchange and Skillet's Awake. Mardel also presents Chris August’s No Far Away for $5 with coupon and includes Eric Metaxas' biography Bonhoeffer among books 50% off, pricing it at $14.99.

Additionally, the chain's promotion includes an in-store-only coupon for $10 off hoodies, valid for one week.

LifeWay's two-week Bible sale sees the 79-CD set, The Word of Promise: Audio Bible, reduced from $149.99 to $74.99 and the personal size NLT Study Bible available for half price at $29.99.

The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible and The HCSB Study Bible are each priced at $39.97 for online Parable purchases, with a 15%-off coupon for online purchase of $40 or more included in the emailing.

Berean Christian Stores offer 50% off a second Bible with the purchase of a first at regular price. The chain also promotes Brian Pina's worship CD, Kingdom Come, for $5 with a portion of proceeds going to stores' local Give Hope ministry.

Family Christian Stores sends out a coupon for 25% off an entire purchase—including sale items—valid through Dec. 24.

The soon-to-come January issue of Christian Retailing features an unlikely trio of titles in Book News. The three titles that rose to the top of the month’s offerings all included the prefix un-.

Brian Zahnd’s Unconditional? (Charisma House/Strang Book Group) is the subject of our lead story, examining what it means to follow Jesus’ radical call to a life of forgiveness.

In Unplanned (Tyndale House Publishers), former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson tells how participating in an abortion led her to adopt a fully pro-life stance.

And in Unshaken (Zondervan), Dan Woolley of Compassion International tells the story of how he survived being trapped for 65 hours in the ruins of Hotel Montana following Haiti’s devastating January earthquake.

Christian retail offers for the week of Nov. 22

Shoppers get a preview of what will be on offer in post-Thanksgiving sales from Berean Christian Stores and CLC Christian Bookcenters.

At Berean locations, they will find $5 specials that include $5 CDs from artists including Casting Crowns, Matt Maher, Francesca Batistelli and Brandon Heath. DVDs available for the same price include holiday favorites The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing.

There are also savings on wall art during the Nov.26-28 event, with all items priced up to $99.99 available for 20% off, a 30% discount on products between $100-199.99 and 40% off items over $200. The emailing includes an in-store coupon for $5 off any purchase of $25-plus.

CLC Christian Bookcenters promises Early Bird savings for visitors beween 8 a.m. and noon on Nov. 26 and 27. Among promoted titles are Francis Chan’s Crazy Love and Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven, for $7.50 each.

Mardel Christian & Education focuses on Sarah Palin's new book, offering America By Heart: Reflections ion Family, Faith and Flag, for $17.99, reduced from $25.99.

Parable customers are invited to “Answers Jesus' Call” with special pricing on Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotional and the children's edition, each available online for $14.97. Other featured titles include holiday romance compendium A Prairie Christmas Collection for $12.97 online. The Parable promotion include a coupon for $10 off a $40-or-more online purchases through Nov. 27.

Parable's separate music promotion spotlights Christmas releases from Susan Boyle (The Gift) and Jackie Evancho (O Holy Night). They are available online for $12.97 and $9.98 respectively.

Christian publishing may have been without a mega best-seller this year but one leader thinks that is a good thing that has made room for a more important development.

 David Almack, U.S. director and publisher with CLC International, observes that in the absence of a mega-seller promising the good life, titles like Radical, Jesus Calling, Crazy Love, The Love Dare and even the classic The Five Love Languages have appeared on the New York Times best-seller lists.

 “The basic message in many of these books is the incredible story of the God of the universe making the ultimate sacrifice of His only Son, which compels believers to lives of sacrifice and love for others out of gratitude, not duty,” he notes.

 “For a world sick and tired of phony promises, this is indeed good news about Christianity itself. Instead of looking inward for ways to improve ourselves and achieve the American dream by joining the right church or reading the right book, these new authors are pointing us in an entirely different direction for finding significance and purpose in life.”

 In his Nov. 21 posting at his blog, Almack welcomes “a new generation of readers (that) appears to be seeking a robust presentation of the love of Christ for a dying world,” and suggests it's time for “sober introspection” to “evaluate the serious consequences of promoting a gospel that requires so little while promising so much.

“Now is the time for us all to repent and return to publishing, distributing and selling books that present Jesus as the 'lamb that was slain' and who gave His all so that we might have life at all.”

In suspense writer Gutteridge’s Possession, former police detective Vance Graegan leaves his work and the city behind for a fresh start with his family. His past, though, won’t let him go. In his new home, the movers won’t deliver their things unless paid an exorbitant hidden fee. A seemingly simple scam turns complicated when Vance discovers two dead bodies.

The more he learns, the more threats he receives, until finally his wife and young son are kidnapped. Accused of the murders and suffering from untreated post-traumatic stress disorder, Vance must save his family before his jealous and bitter former partner takes everything.

Faith is an important theme in the book; Vance’s little boy has a strong relationship with God. In their most desperate moment, the family reaches out in prayer, and the hand of God saves them.

With a quick pace and unexpected turns, Possession keeps the reader’s attention to the end, though the climax seems to drag a bit. Detail Gutteridge withholds until later in the story keeps the pages turning. Though intense, none of the action is gory or gratuitous—the story is appropriate for younger thrill-seekers.

—Allison Hyer

Possession

Rene Gutteridge 

Tyndale House Publishers

softcover, 400 pages, $12.99

978-1-414-32434-0

January 2011

Christian retail offers for the week of Nov. 15

Worship favorite Chris Tomlin's new And If Our God is For Us... is the featured release for Mardel Christian & Education, LifeWay Christian Stores and Parable stores. Mardel offers the album for $9.99--regular price $13.99--through Nov. 22, while LifeWay has it available for $11.99. The release is priced at $11.97 online for Parable shoppers.

Mardel also promotes Tomlin's back catalog, pricing Arriving and See The Morning at $5 each, while Hello Love and Christmas recording, Glory in the Highest, are each $7.99.

LifeWay presents "Just in Time for Christmas" music, including Susan Boyle's The Gift, $2 off at $9.99, and WOW Hits 2011 (various artists), reduced from $14.99 to $10. Featured DVDs include A Christmas Snow, available for $15.99 (regular price $19.99). 

In Parable’s email promotion, the Tomlin offer is followed by a Christmas focus, with Christmas Stories for Bedtime on sale online for $5.99 and VeggieTales' new Christmas-themed It's a Meaningful Life available for $11.97.

CLC Bookcenters also concentrate on Christmas, with two Home for the Holidays collections—from Point of Grace's and Crystal Lewis—available for purchase at $11.99 each. The Essential Christmas Collection is priced at $10.99

Other featured holidays releases include David Phelps' Christmas (reduced from $13.99 to $11.49), A Brooklyn Tabernacle Christmas (from $14.98 to $12.99) and VeggieTales' 25 Favorite Christmas Songs (from $6.99 to $5.98). The CLC emailing also includes a coupon for 20% of any one regular priced item, in-store.

Set against the historical background of an incident in the author's family, book one in Dale Cramer’s “The Daughters of Caleb Bender” series shows the simplicity, spirit and dedication of his Amish forbears.

A prequel to Levi’s Will, a 2006 Christy Award winner, Paradise Valley begins in Ohio, where the Amish are imprisoned for refusing to allow their children to attend public school, even though it is now the law in 1922. Caleb Bender defends the right to school his children according to his religious convictions, uttering the words, “Your honor, I am not a citizen of this world.”