Latest project: Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices (9781426751172, $15.99, Abingdon Press).

What is the message of Ragged Hope? The core message of Ragged Hope is that even when hope is tattered by the consequences of other people’s choices, it remains strong. Hope may look ragged, beaten up, faded, but that’s perception only. The hope God offers is indestructible, no matter what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. 

What sparked the idea for this book? In a word, compassion. The prayer, “Lord, break my heart [for] what breaks Yours” was answered more fully than I expected. Listening to “fallout” stories broke my heart and stirred me with admiration for the resilience and tenacity of the survivors. I longed to throw a spotlight on how they pushed through pain and found hope hidden in the folds of the fallout.

Why did you choose the particular stories that appear in the book? So many stories remain to be told, but I chose a selection of those that represented both the all-too-common and the inexpressibly painful, hoping that each reader would either sense their own story had been given voice or that they finished the book with a deeper understanding of pain they hadn’t experienced.

How did you collect the stories? A sea of stories floated around me in the lives of people I love, those I see every Sunday morning, those I minister to through books and speaking engagements, those against whom I brush in the course of everyday life. I dialed in to listen to their pain and observe the wonder of their incredible survival instincts and God’s intimate responses to them.

How has your own life been affected by a decision someone else made? Our family held its collective breath through tension-filled years of concern for our heartbroken son and his toddler children as they walked a very difficult path. We were caught in the tangle of what at times was raw fear for them. We learned more than we cared to about addictions and the justice system, observed, but were unable to change dangerous living conditions and dried the tears of little ones who survived because of their relentlessly faithful father and the grace of God. The fallout from that season has settled, but we have the grandparent version of flashbacks of some of those scenes.

How is hope more than simply anticipating when a problem will go away? When God said, “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:5), He had to have meant more than anticipation for the endpoint of a crisis. Some crises have no endpoint this side of eternity. That verse is linked to the promise of His presence through it all. Our hope is the anchor point that assures us He sees, He hears, He understands, He cares, He weeps, and He is there in the midst of it.

You write that Ragged Hope is not a how-to book, but a celebration. How is that? America both sympathizes with and cheers for wounded soldiers, including amputees from military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. They’re moving forward. They’re adjusting to artificial limbs and life changes. They’re walking again, running, competing in sports, dancing. They and their families—and all of us—are changed forever by what they endured in the line of duty. But we’re also changed, buoyed in spirit, by their determination to keep moving and step into the bright future, no matter how altered and challenging it might be. Horrific stories. Heroic responses. In that sense, stories like those in Ragged Hope are a celebration of survival.

What do you hope readers will gain from this book? A heart more sensitive to the distresses faced by those who live in the aftermath of other people’s choices. Greater confidence that in our own crises, hope is still there, even if it seems hidden or battered. Assurance that—small as they are—our efforts to show ragged-hope survivors they are not forgotten mean more than we can imagine. A clearer understanding of the indestructibility of the hope God offers. 

When is your upcoming Facebook chat, and what can readers expect there? The Facebook chat is on Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. EDT. Readers will be able to discuss Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices, ask and answer questions and win prizes. Readers can watch the Cynthia Ruchti Reader Page on Facebook for details. 

Is there anything else Christian retailers should know about Ragged Hope? Ragged Hope is the kind of book that soothes rather than stings. Only God can heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds [Ps. 147:3], but Ragged Hope holds the jar of ointment, the hand of the hurting one and the hopes of those who care.

ASK THE AUTHOR: Wil Mara
LATEST PROJECT: Frame 232: A Jason Hammond Novel (9781414359519, $13.99, July).
PUBLISHER: Tyndale House Publishers.

What is the main  “What if?” question in Frame 232 related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy?

“What if new evidence concerning the Kennedy assassination—something with conclusive proof that Oswald did not act alone—was discovered by an ordinary person, and a few very powerful people who had taken part in the conspiracy and were still alive wanted to make certain that evidence never saw the light of day?”

What inspired you to explore this possible scenario in fiction form?

As I was watching one of the countless documentaries on [the assassination], I was introduced to a little-known figure called the Babushka Lady—a woman who had been standing in Dealey Plaza wearing a headscarf (aka a babushka) and was apparently holding a camera of some kind. I’d like to point out here that this was a real person, not the product of my or anyone else’s imagination, and that her identity remains unknown to this day. Anyhow, seeing her sparked an idea—what if she’d had a film camera, what if she captured something that no one else noticed and what if, out of concern for herself and her family, she decided to keep her film a secret for half a century? 

What is the significance of the title?

The key image in the Babushka film—the one that opens the door to everything else for Hammond and Sheila—just happens to be frame 232.

Would you give us a short summary?

The daughter and only child of the aforementioned Babushka Lady—the name I gave in the story is Sheila Baker—discovers the film after her mother’s death and contacts Jason Hammond, our wonderful Christian hero, for help. Hammond is the son of a wealthy industrialist who, along with Hammond’s mother and only sibling, died tragically in a plane crash years earlier. As a result, Hammond has been struggling with his faith and has been escaping the pain by throwing his energies and resources into solving the most high-profile mysteries of 20th century. In the case of the Babushka film, he knows he’s onto something huge. 

Jason struggles with the loss of his family. What is his crisis of faith?

Like so many people, his crisis was born from suffering through a massive loss, and that suffering continues unabated. He goes to bed with it, wakes up with it, feels it with every breath. His family were good people, so he cannot make peace with the magnitude of the tragedy in relation to his belief in the Lord. What’s interesting, though—and this is where the agonizing tension is most taut—is that he’s still a believer. Think about it—if he weren’t, there wouldn’t be any conflict at all. And this unresolved issue provides a giant story arc that will span many books. Hammond’s bruised and battered faith is the real story in this series. 

‘MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle’ offers kids lessons on getting along with others

Big Idea’s latest release in the VeggieTales franchise tells the story of a land flowing with beards and kilts, where two clans who are locked in a longstanding feud lived.

In VeggieTales: MacLarry & the Stinky Cheese Battle, the Roman and Scottish Barberbarian tribes plot against each other with various pranks, including water balloon ambushes, pies, bad haircuts and a host of other hijinks.

Larry the Cucumber stars as MacLarry, a well-meaning young inventor who just wants to make kooky gadgets. Try as he may, he has never mastered the art of pranking, even after much training from the chief prankster himself—his father, Chog Norrius. 

Discouraged, MacLarry sets out on a journey to find the great inventor Archie-medes in hopes of finding a place he can belong. Meanwhile, the feud is escalating and Chog’s clan is plotting their biggest prank yet—releasing the loathsome-smelling Limburger cheese in the land on their rivals.

But when the cheese caper goes afoul, Chog and the people realize that they need MacLarry’s special skills to save the day by helping both pranking tribes to overcome and resolve their differences for good.

Set for release July 27 and July 30 in Christian and general market stores respectively, MacLarry & the Stinky Cheese Battle (820413131791, $14.99) aims to help kids work towards peace and unity, Big Idea officials said.  

“With MacLarry & the Stinky Cheese Battle, the fun storytelling and animation that VeggieTales is so well-known for are amped up in this tale of a very silly ‘prank battle’ that delivers the important message of getting along with others,” said Laura Neutzling, director of marketing for Big Idea. “This can be a tool for parents to impart this key idea to their kids, which extends into other core values, including acceptance and community.”

The 45-minute video, which features the silly song “Stilts and Kilts,” will be distributed by Word Distribution. To order, call 800-876-WORD (9673).

New Russian band Everfound and renowned music producer Wayne Haun also release albums this month

EVERFOUND
Everfound
Word Entertainment (Word Distribution)
080688856021
July 16

A band of four Russian-born brothers, Everfound is set to release its self-titled Word Entertainment debut. Co-produced by Seth Mosley (Francesca Battistelli, For King & Country, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline) and Pete Kipley (Phil Wickham, Matthew West, MercyMe), Everfound features 12 tracks written or co-written by the band. The brothers, who began at an early age playing classical piano, have used that influence throughout the album with Nikita on lead vocals and keys, Ruslan on guitar and keys, Yan on drums and Illarion on bass. Along with lead single “Never Beyond Repair,” the project includes “What Love Means,” which is also featured on Word Entertainment’s musical companion to the History Channel’s The Bible miniseries. 

GLORIOUS RUINS
Hillsong Live
Hillsong/Capitol CMG Label Group (Capitol Christian Distribution)
5099909748828
July 2

Recorded live in London and Sydney, Australia, Glorious Ruins celebrates the fact that ruins come to life and become glorious through Christ. The album comprises 12 new songs written by Hillsong team members, including Joel Houston, Reuben Morgan and Matt Crocker. Along with the title track, the album features “Man of Sorrows” and “Glorify Your Name,” a collaboration between Morgan and Chris Tomlin.

INSPIRED
Joey+Rory
Gaither Music Group (Capitol Christian)
617884877620
July 16

Husband-and-wife country music duo Joey+Rory share songs of faith on this all-new gospel collection. Known for their RFD-TV series, The Joey+Rory Show, the singer-songwriter couple has combined fan favorites with brand-new tunes on Inspired: Songs of Faith & Family, recorded in the historic West Barn south of Nashville. The couple will also be known to “Gaither Homecoming” fans.

MORNING RISES
Aaron Shust
Centricity Music (Capitol Christian)
829619119824
July 16

Produced by Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Laura Story), Morning Rises is a celebratory collection of songs, including “God of Brilliant Lights,” a reminder that God is faithful and transcends life’s circumstances.

OLD SOUL
Wayne Haun 
Stow Town Records (Provident Distribution)
0643157426011
July 23

A four-time GRAMMY nominee and 19-time Dove winner, Haun is in demand for his work as a producer and arranger. Haun, who toured with  Ernie Haase, offers timeless love songs and Broadway tunes along with two original love songs.

Spiritual warfare thriller: In Divination, spiritual forces collide in a supernatural battle between good and evil. Jason and Jessica are filled with joy at their first pregnancy, until the uncanny return of their mysterious friend, Dee. But Jason is tormented by Fear, who continually whispers nightmares and horrific visions into his mind. Releasing this month, the 98-minute drama, described as “a spiritual warfare thriller like no other,” retails for $19.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group. 

Only one wiener: In Wiener Dog Nationals, an underdog and her family ban together to advance through the cutthroat world of the nation’s greatest dachshund race. The family-friendly movie stars Alicia Witt, Jason London and Morgan Fairchild. Releasing July 2 and distributed by Word Distribution, the G-rated, 82-minute comedy retails for $26.98. 

Redemption and restoration: Loosely based on true-life events, Unexpected Places tells the story of Cody, a troubled son who continues making bad choices into adult life, and his mother, Pam, who suffers almost unbearable grief as a result. But God intervenes to open their eyes to redemption and restoration. Releasing this month, the 112-minute drama retails for $19.95 and is distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group. 

Latest project: Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams Into New Beginnings (9780849964800, $15.99, Thomas Nelson).

What is a resurrection year, and where did you first hear of this concept? I’d describe a resurrection year as a year of new life following the death of a dream. I’d love to take credit for the phrase, but it was the British author Adrian Plass who suggested it to me. I was talking to Adrian off-air one day after interviewing him on my radio show. We’d gotten to know each other a little over the years and so I told him about the difficult journey my wife, Merryn, and I had recently been on, and how we were thinking of starting the new year afresh. He listened intently and then said, “In the Christian scheme of things, new beginnings come after the death of something, just as Jesus’ resurrection followed his crucifixion. After what you’ve just told me, I think a ‘Resurrection Year’ is just what you need.”

What prompted you and Merryn to leave Australia, travel Europe and resettle in Oxford, England? Our broken dream was not being able to start a family. We had pursued that dream for 10 years—through special diets, healing prayer, numerous rounds of IVF [in vitro fertilization] and even a two-year wait on the Australian adoption list. By the end of that 10 years, Merryn was in a mess. She needed a new beginning. Apart from longing to become a mum, Merryn’s only other dream was to live and work overseas. When she was offered a job at Oxford University, we saw it as God’s way for that secondary dream to become a reality. 

What made you finally decide to stop trying to have a child? In short, because we couldn’t continue on anymore. Proverbs 13:12 says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Well, Merryn’s heart was sick. The constant waiting picks away at the fabric of your being—waiting each month when you’re first trying for a child; waiting for blood test results when you’re doing IVF; waiting for the phone call when you’re waiting to adopt. Your emotions get a battering during this wait, as your hopes are constantly raised then dashed. As we approached our 10th year of waiting and also approached the age of 40 when fertility becomes even harder, we decided to try one last round of IVF before bringing the journey to an end. As readers of Resurrection Year will discover, that final round was eventful.

You left a significant platform in Australia as a national radio show host, best-selling author and speaker. Why? Because Merryn needed me to. … Having seen her reduced to tears night after night from having her first dream denied, I couldn’t watch her miss out on a second. But I wasn’t the hero in this. Leaving my career and ministry in Australia was hard. I didn’t leave it with a light heart or the joy of a saint who delights in sacrifice. In the book, I describe our experience of infertility as our “wilderness” journey. To some degree, leaving Australia and coming to the U.K. plunged me into a second wilderness experience—not knowing who I was or what my purpose was to be. But God has been up to something all along, and this book is part of it. A whole new season of ministry is beginning—a very unexpected one.

How did your travels before settling in England help you and Merryn move on? Our travels through Europe … helped us to see the “bigness” of life again. The historic and artistic glories of Rome opened our eyes to a larger world than we’d been seeing. The lovely Italian ritual of la passeggiata—an evening stroll through the village when one catches up with the neighbors—was restorative. The natural beauty of Switzerland was overwhelming. All up, our European trip was a chance to play again, to be amazed by beauty and to let some of the dead leaves of our old life float away.

How is this book about even more than infertility? Resurrection Year is a book for those who have experienced a broken dream or for those who know someone who has. … I hope Resurrection Year will breathe new life and hope into these and other readers, helping them to realize that a broken dream doesn’t have to define one’s life, and that while God is sometimes silent, He is never absent.

What else should Christian retailers know about Resurrection Year? Thomas Nelson has put a great marketing plan together for the book, and I’ll be doing a lot of media and speaking to get the message out. Those who’ve read Resurrection Year have told me, almost to the person, that they have five friends they’re buying the book for. I hope Christian retailers feel confident carrying quantities of the book and in giving it a prominent position in store! Something seems to be building around this little memoir.