Author Elias Joseph “Tony” Nassif died Jan. 14 in Burbank, California, where he resided. Nassif was a strong advocate for the victims of human trafficking, child abduction and sexual slavery. He was a founding member of the Christian Coalition, according to The Gazette, and was interviewed by many media outlets, including “Family News in Focus” and “Focus on the Family.”

His book, Jesus, Politics and the Church (Elijah Productions and Pub.), was endorsed upon release by influential Christian leaders, including Bill Bright, president and founder of Cru; Tim Wildmon, vice president of the American Family Association; and Ralph Reed, Republican strategist and former executive director of the Christian Coalition.

Available online now, the February/March digital issue of Christian Retailing highlights special resources your store can stock to reach out to new customers.

Sue Kloeck, director of trade marketing for Abbey Press, explains how to renew your store for Easter, Mother's Day and other spring holidays, while Rabbi Barry Rubin, president and publisher of Messianic Jewish Communications, teaches retailers why it's important to stock Messianic products.

Worthy Publishing announced Tuesday the signing of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone of the GRAMMY Award-winning band For King & Country. The brothers will release a novelization of their upcoming movie, Priceless: She’s Worth Fighting For, to be published in August.

The novel will be written with best-selling author Nancy Rue, who won two Christy Awards and was presented with the Women of Faith Novel of the Year distinction. The movie, scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide via Radiate Films in 2016, will star Joel Smallbone, Bianca Santos (The Duff), Jim Parrack (True Blood) and David Koechner (Anchorman).

This spring, moviegoers will get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the world’s-largest annual Christian concert tour with This Is Winter Jam, in theaters Tuesday, Apr. 19. Presented by Fathom Events and Word Entertainment, this one-night event captures the life-transforming ministry of the blockbuster tour as never seen before.

This Is Winter Jam showcases performances from Skillet, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, For King & Country, NewSong, Family Force 5, Building 429 and more. The film gives moviegoers backstage access and interviews with Winter Jam artists past and present, along with an exclusive world premiere of For King & Country's "Priceless" music video.

Jennie Allen, founder and visionary for IF:Gathering, has signed a multiple book deal with WaterBrook Multnomah, imprints of Crown at Penguin Random House. The first as-of-yet-untitled book is scheduled to release on Jan. 31, 2017, in print and digital formats, to coincide with the fourth IF:Gathering Conference on Feb. 3-4, 2017.

Allen is a well-respected speaker, Bible study teacher and author. She created the DVD-based Bible studies Stuck, Chase and Restless and the trade books Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul and Restless: Because You Were Made for More (both Thomas Nelson). In 2013, she received the Christian Book Award for “New Author” from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

Religious presses improved in September 2015 compared to September 2014, according to the latest available Association of American Publishers’ StatShot report. While total industry sales were down 0.7 percent year over year, religious presses posted a 3.3 percent rise. Religious presses, adult books (up 10.1 percent) and university presses (up 1.9 percent) improved the most this month, while every other category posted a decline relative to September 2014.

The increase continues to be a good sign for Christian retailers, since overall year-to-date religious sales have lagged behind last year’s by 1.5 percent, with $390.1 million in revenue to date in 2015 compared to $395.9 million in 2014. The overall industry has done even worse, declining by 2.0 percent in year-to-date statistics.

Harvest House Publishers announced Friday a new alignment of two publishing groups in the company: The Willamette Group and The McKenzie Group. These teams position Harvest House to better serve its authors, accounts and readers through category expertise, consumer focus and marketing innovation.

Each group, named after the two major rivers in the Eugene, Oregon, area (where Harvest House is based), has been tasked with developing specific brands and categories. The Willamette Group, led by 30-year Harvest House veteran, executive vice president and publisher LaRae Weikert, focuses on titles for women, pastoral voices, prophecy, leadership, ministry partnerships and more. The McKenzie Group, led by executive vice president and publisher Barb Sherrill, primarily focuses on titles for kids, teens and tweens, parents, lifestyle (home, personal interests and health) and fiction.