The Zondervan and William Morrow divisions of HarperCollins Publishers have acquired world rights to publish the memoirs of Ashley Smith, the Atlanta woman taken hostage in March by a suspect in a courthouse shooting. The book, titled Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero, is scheduled to release this fall.

Smith told reporters she read from Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan) while being held hostage in her apartment by Brian Nichols, who subsequently surrendered and has been accused in the shooting death of a judge and three other persons at an Atlanta courthouse. After Smith's press conference, sales spiked for the best-selling book.

“By co-publishing, we can leverage our combined strengths in the Christian and general marketplace and together bring Ashley's remarkable story to as many readers as possible,” said Lisa Gallagher, senior vice president and publisher of William Morrow.

Smith will establish a memorial fund to honor the shooting victims and donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book to the fund.

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