Zondervan has acquired the rights to a memoir by Dr. Bennet Omalu, whose part was played by Will Smith in the football film Concussion. Set to release in fall 2017, the book will be co-written by New York Times best-selling author Mark Tabb (Mistaken Identity, The Sacred Acre).

In the book, Omalu will share his life story, what led to his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and how he was uniquely positioned to address the concussion issue with the NFL. Omalu’s book will reportedly share never-before-told insight into CTE, along with personal stories and testimony about the important role his faith has played in his work.

Nominations close at midnight today, Feb. 29, for the Christian Retailing’s Best awards program. Christian Retailing sponsors the awards program annually, presenting the awards at the International Christian Retail Show.

Vendors and authors who wish to nominate their 2015 and/or backlist products may do today. The entry fee per product is $60.

Redbud Press has changed its name to Serenade Books to more clearly define its brand in the marketplace. Established in 2014, the Oklahoma-based Christian publishing company specializes in sweet romance.

Lacy Williams, managing director for Serenade Books, said the name change won’t alter how the company operates in the marketplace. She stressed that Serenade will continue to publish the highest-quality romance books from authors whom readers love and trust.

Motion picture audiences across the country have embraced the latest faith-based hit from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s AFFIRM label. Risen, the story of a Roman tribune’s investigation to prove Christ's resurrection a hoax, emerged as the weekend’s No. 1 new movie and the fourth-highest opening of all time for a faith-based film. The movie also scored an A- CinemaScore, measuring movie appeal among theater goers.

Risen’s three-day box office cume of $11.8 million on 2,915 screens signals another win for AFFIRM. Sony Pictures now claims four of the top six faith-based film opening weekends of all time, five of the top seven faith-based movies in the last five years and five of the top-10-grossing films in the genre in industry history.

Ingram Content Group announced Tuesday the promotion of three executives. Jacqueline Letson, Michael Bell and Emily Weiss have all been promoted to director roles.

Michael Bell has been named director of national accounts, overseeing the strategic planning and selling activities for national accounts, Internet accounts, mass merchant wholesalers and associated suppliers. Previously, Bell was the director of consumer direct fulfillment for Ingram. Earlier in his career, Bell was a field sales trainer with Johnson & Johnson. Bell received his MBA and a certificate in executive leadership from Belmont University and his bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee.

DEMDACO, the Leawood, Kansas-based wholesale gifts and home décor distributor, is transitioning to a focused, single-brand identity. DEMDACO’s products are now organized by categories that target consumer shopping and living experiences.

Under the inclusive DEMDACO brand, retailers and consumers can explore all DEMDACO products organized by categories: Gifts, Home & Entertaining, The Great Outdoors, Fashion & Jewelry, Baby & Kids, Bath & Body, Holidays, Seasons and Celebrations. DEMDACO also continues to honor its partnership with artist Susan Lordi, offering her hand-carved Willow Tree sculptures under Willow Tree's brand name.

The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) has created a new Hall of Fame for leaders in Catholic publishing, changing the name of its previous award. 

ACP recognized Greg Erlandson, publisher of the Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, and Robert Gallagher, CEO and chairman of Good Will Publishers, as its first inductees honoring their significant contributions to Catholic publishing. Erlandson and Gallagher were formally presented with their awards Feb. 5 at the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Congress in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Hilton Hotel.