Nashville, Tenn. – Thomas Nelson Inc., one of the word’s oldest and largest Bible publishers, has another milestone in its yearlong celebration of the King James Version Bible’s 400th anniversary.
The company’s Bible Group Marketing Team has won the prestigious platinum MarCom award for its creative KJV400 marketing strategy. The global competition, touted as the largest of its kind in the world, recognizes “outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals.”

“What an honor to have this talented and dedicated group as part of the Thomas Nelson family,” says Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. “Through this campaign, our Bible Marketing Team continues to carry out the company’s mission, to inspire the world. The King James Bible is an integral part of Thomas Nelson’s foundation and this team has done a great job to educate consumers about its history and cultural influence.”

Competition entrants include media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. The entries are judged by the international organization Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

“Our marketing team well deserves having this spotlight shone on them,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Senior Vice President and Bible Group Publisher. “Their exceptional creative programs are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m very proud of the work they do to spread God’s Word.”

It was 407 years ago that King James of England gathered 54 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of the day to create a new translation of the Bible. Thomas Nelson’s campaign to share the anniversary included the Bible Legacy Event at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, a worldwide satellite media tour, partnerships with the History Channel and Salem Media Group, and recently a promotion on the CBS Times Square Jumbo Screen. A web site dedicated to the celebration – www.KJV400celebration.com – launched an online version of the Bible Legacy showcase, encouraging millions of people to view ancient biblical relics.

“It was a lot of hours and a lot of work, but it was worth it,” says Blake Aldridge, Senior Marketing Director of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. “The King James Version changed how the world viewed the Bible, and its legacy of language lives on today. We wanted everyone to understand how important that Bible translation is to their everyday lives, whether they realize it or not. It was a huge challenge, but this group likes challenges.”

The group’s efforts reached close to 63 million viewers through paid promotions, and countless more through publicity efforts in print, online, radio and television. Innovative design work by Thomas Nelson’s design team brought the past and present together in beautiful products that will be kept for generations. This award recognizes the dedicated perseverance of all those who worked for months to keep this version of God’s Word in the hearts of the world.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of a campaign that celebrates such a time-honored translation as the King James Version,” says Lindsay Williams, Bible Group Marketing Specialist. “This has been the largest campaign I’ve been a part of during my time at Thomas Nelson, and it’s been exciting to work on something with such a phenomenal reach! It’s been neat to see people’s reactions as they begin to understand how this translation has stood the test of time and influenced history for 400 years.”

Thomas Nelson Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with a mission to “inspire the world.” The company provides multiple formats of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com for more information.

For image files, interview opportunities and more information, contact Julie Belschner, publicist, at jbelschner@thomasnelson.com or at 615.902.2244.

(Nashville, TN) Thomas Nelson Fiction is pleased to congratulate author Beth Wiseman on her 2011 Carol Award win for her novel “Plain Paradise”.

“Beth Wiseman is a dream author. As a debut novelist in 2008, she immediately skyrocketed to the bestseller list, has quickly become a top-selling voice in her genre, and is now expanding her brand to write both Amish and Romance novels. Most of all, she’s  a genuine friend and true joy to work with. We couldn’t be more happy for this major recognition of Beth’s writing,” said Allen Arnold, Sr. VP and Publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction.

Wiseman, of Fayetteville, TX, accepted her award with a tearful word about the poignancy of the honor and her personal connections to this novel.  “Plain Paradise” deals with an adoption—a woman who was given up at birth and her journey to discover the identity of her biological mother.  Wiseman, too, reconnected with her birth mother, and hears regularly from readers who’ve been touched by “Plain Paradise” and write to share their own adoption stories.

The Carol Awards are the American Christian Fiction Writers’ recognition for the best Christian fiction published by traditional publishing houses in the previous calendar year.  Winners are announced at ACFW’s annual convention, where this year nearly 700 authors and industry professionals attended the awards gala.  Boasting more than 2400 members worldwide, ACFW serves to promote Christian Fiction through developing the skills of its authors, educating them in the market, and serving as an advocate in the traditional publishing industry.

Wiseman’s latest release is “The Wonder of Your Love” (October 2011), an Amish novel set in Colorado, following the real-life migration of Amish communities to the area.  Her spring 2012 release, “Need You Now” is a contemporary romance set in Beth’s home state of Texas.

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Thomas Nelson, Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher and one of the largest trade publishers in the United States.  Originally founded in Scotland, 1798, Thomas Nelson’s Corporate Office is located in Nashville, TN, with its Live Events division, the nation’s leading producer of Christian live events, in Plano, TX.  The Company provides multiple forms of inspirational content including:  Bibles, books, eBooks, journals, audio, video, curriculum and digital applications available for download on “smart” electronic devices.  The Company publishes products through its Thomas Nelson, Tommy Nelson, and Grupo Nelson brand names.  The Company’s self-publishing division, WestBow Press, allows new authors a speed-to-market advantage while also benefitting from Thomas Nelson’s publishing heritage.  Thomas Nelson, Inc. continues to inspire the world, with distribution of products in more than 100 countries.  For more information on the Company, please visit www.thomasnelson.com. 

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me to be Promoted

(Nashville, Tenn.) – Thomas Nelson, Inc. is pleased to announce that Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts by Ian Morgan Cron has been selected as a featured title in the Barnes & Noble (B&N) Discover Great New Writers program.

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me will be part of the program for the months of August, September, and October 2011 at B&N stores nationwide and online at BarnesandNoble.com.

Former authors to be selected as part of the B&N Discover Great New Writers include Cormac McCarthy, Elizabeth Gilbert, Frank McCourt, Barbara Kingsolver, Yann Martel, Alice Sebold, Michael Pollan, Patricia Cornwell, Kathryn Stockett, and Khaled Hosseini.

“One of the biggest compliments that a retailer can pay to an author or publisher is to acknowledge the inherent value of a beautifully written book,” says Matt Baugher, Vice President and Publisher at Thomas Nelson. “It’s not just a matter of promotion and not just about what might sell but rather, the recognition that a book should be highlighted simply because it is special. This is what the Discover Great New Writers program has always been about and to be included in this is a great honor. Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts is an engaging memoir in every respect, and I look forward to many more people discovering Ian Morgan Cron in the days ahead.”

“I have been submitting books for consideration to the Discover Great New Writers panel for close to 25 years, and I have never been as excited about a title as I am about Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts,” says Julie Jayne, Key Accounts Manager at Thomas Nelson. “I am so pleased that the panel agreed with my assessment of this wonderful book and chose it for the program. Barnes & Noble customers will be well-rewarded when they make the time to read this literary treasure.”

As part of the Discover Great New Writers program, Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts will receive the following B&N promotions:

• Face-out display in each B&N bookstore
• An individual shelf-talker with a teaser line placed under each face-out
• A 20% discount for the entire promotional season
• An individual review for each title in the seasonal Discover Great New Writers brochure, available free to customers
• Promotion on bn.com for the Discover Award finalists and Discover Seasonal selections
• Special consideration for Discover-selected writers for in-store events and book group discussions

Author Ian Morgan Cron is represented by Lee Hough of Alive Communications. His speaking management is coordinated by Jim Chaffee of Chaffee Management Group.

About Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir…Of Sorts

At the age of sixteen, Ian Morgan Cron was told by his mother that his father, a former motion picture executive, worked with the CIA in Europe. This astonishing revelation, coupled with his father’s dark struggle with alcoholism, upends the world of a teenager struggling to become a man.

In this surprisingly funny and forgiving memoir Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir … of Sorts (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-4610-3, $15.99, June 2011), Ian describes a childhood filled with remarkable stories and colorful characters that includes a nearly blind English nanny who teaches him what love means, a simple carpenter who leads him to faith, an irreverent New York radio personality who saves his life, a father who takes his family on a wild ride from the pinnacle of glamour and wealth to the depths of emotional and financial hardship, a beautiful and courageous mother who holds them together, and the hard won peace that comes when we surrender to the “unfinished business of grace.”

IAN MORGAN CRON IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS.
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Thomas Nelson is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes.  For more information, visit our website www.thomasnelson.com.

(Nashville, TN) Thomas Nelson’s Design MultiMedia group won a silver ADDY® award at the 2010-2011 National ADDY® Awards for advertising excellence at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in San Diego, California, on June 4. The award ceremony was a part of ADMERICA!, the federation’s national advertising conference.

The ADDY® Awards Competition is a three-tiered national competition conducted annual by the American Adverting Federation. The ADDY® Awards Competition is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition for creative excellence.

(Nashville, TN) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that Eric Metaxas’ bestseller Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy has received Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s (ECPA) top honor by being named 2011 Christian Book of the Year. The winner was announced at the ECPA Awards banquet held Monday, May 2, during ECPA’s annual Executive Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is the second year in a row that a Thomas Nelson title has won the honor of Christian Book of the Year, with The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Sterns taking home the award in 2010.

Bonhoeffer is a groundbreaking biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest heroes of the twentieth century, the man who stood up to Hitler. A definitive, deeply moving narrative, Bonhoeffer is a story of moral courage in the face of the monstrous evil that was Nazism. After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double-agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Führer, and was hanged in Flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. Since his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century. READ MORE »