Merkh comes to Howard Books after he recently joined the William Morris Agency as an agent for the Hollywood talent agency's Book Department. Merkh resigned last year as vice president of Guideposts Books. After 14 years, Merkh resigned from Thomas Nelson in November 2006 as senior vice president and publisher of Nelson Books.

"He is well-known and highly regarded in both the CBA community and the wider world of publishing," said Mark Gompertz, executive vice president of Simon & Schuster's Touchstone Fireside division. "He is the right person to help us grow this area of our publishing, expanding upon the solid foundation built by John Howard and the rest of Howard Books staff."

In his position, Merkh will be responsible for all the editorial and marketing functions of Howard Books and the senior management team. John Howard, who will continue to serve as vice president and publisher, will report to Merkh.

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