(Nashville, Tenn.) – Four-year-old Colton Burpo’s journey to heaven and back has reached over six million people in his story’s various formats. In addition to top rankings on several bestseller lists, the children’s book depicting Colton’s trip, Heaven Is for Real for Kids, has hit a new benchmark: #1 on the children’s picture books list of the New York Times Best Seller List.

“It is a simple and pure message from the experience of a four year old child: ‘Jesus really loves children. And He loves You!’ ” says Laura Minchew, Senior Vice President of Specialty Publishing at Thomas Nelson. “What a delight to see this message resonating with so many families.”

While the original trade book Heaven Is for Real was narrated by Colton’s father Todd, Heaven Is for Real for Kids (Tommy Nelson, ISBN 9781400318704, $14.99, November 2011) shows children what heaven is like through the eyes of young Colton Burpo. When he was nearly four years old, Colton experienced a burst appendix; it was during his emergency surgery that Colton visited heaven.  Aided by illustrator Wilson Ong, Colton vividly shows children what he saw in heaven and shares an important message: Jesus really, really loves children. The book features a letter to parents and a Q&A section that answers questions kids frequently have when they finish Colton’s story. In December 2011, the app Heaven Is for Real for Kids released on all Apple platforms.

The Burpo family is represented by Joel Kneedler of Alive Communications.

Heaven Is for Real for Kids is one of a trio of new products by the Burpo family released by Thomas Nelson. Heaven Is for Real deluxe edition is also available to provide a hardcover, gift-able version of the best-selling trade book. A Heaven is for Real DVD-based Conversation Kit features footage of the Burpo family talking about their experiences while offering discussion questions and suggestions for participants.

About the Authors:

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan, a volunteer fireman, and works with a garage door company. His wife, Sonja, is a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, an active 12-year-old, has an older sister, Cassie, and a younger brother, Colby.

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Tommy Nelson, the children’s division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishes a wide variety of high quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible. Tommy Nelson products are designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith while pointing them to a personal relationship with God. For more information, visit www.tommynelson.com.

Contact: Amy Kerr

Publicist

615-902-1722

akerr@thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) September 27, 2011 – Bestselling author and internationally renowned keynote speaker, Marcus Buckingham, has once again hit the best-seller’s lists with his new business book “StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution.” The book has debuted at #3 in the “Hardcover Business” category of The Wall Street Journal’s Best-Selling Books List and #67 in the USA Today’s Best-Selling Books Top 150 List, based on sales through Sunday, September 18^th. It was also announced that for the week commencing October 2^nd, “StandOut” will be positioned at #11 on the “Hardcover Advice, How-To, Misc.” category, on the New York Times’ Best Seller List.

Over the last decade, Marcus Buckingham has revolutionized the business world with his groundbreaking ideas. Now, with his new book, “StandOut” (9781400202379/ $22.99/ Thomas Nelson), he is providing the next generation a “strengths assessment,” that allows for customization and individualization with cutting edge technology, that will give any professional a distinct edge at work.

Instead of simply describing a professional’s work-style, the book and its online assessment provide information allows readers to, take your work to the next level based on the algorithm of you.  The featured “StandOut” assessment measures nine specific “Strength Roles” revealing the reader’s most prominent top two. These two “roles” are where readers will make the greatest contribution in their professional life. This is what Buckingham describes as the individual’s edge—where they will have a natural advantage over everyone else. Where other assessments stop at descriptive, “StandOut” is prescriptive, taking the next step by providing practical advice on “what to do” to make the most of one’s strengths. Additional information is available by visiting StandOut.TMBC.com. 

Marcus Buckingham’s groundbreaking ideas started a “Strengths” revolution that has changed the business world.  His books have sold more than four million copies and he addresses over 250,000 people each year as a highly sought after keynote speaker.  Through his training and management consulting firm, The Marcus Buckingham Company (www.TMBC.com), he teaches managers how to turn their associates’ strengths into performance.

Before launching TMBC, Buckingham spent nearly two decades as a Senior Researcher at Gallup studying what drives exceptional performance in the world’s best managers.  A past member of the Secretary of States’ Advisory Committee on Leadership and Management, he graduated from Cambridge University with a Master’s Degree in Social and Political Science.  He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

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StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution

By Marcus Buckingham

Jacketed Hardcover ISBN: 9781400202379 / E-Book ISBN: 9781400203666 / MSRP: $22.99
Available Now from Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Contact:     Brenda Smotherman

                   Publicist

                   tel:    (615) 902-2231

                   email: bsmotherman@thomasnelson.com

                   web:  www.thomasnelson.com

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is one of the leading trade publishers in the United States. Originally founded in Scotland, 1798, the Company has become the world’s leading provider of inspirational content, headquartered in Nashville, TN.  Thomas Nelson sells products including: books, e-Books, curriculum and digital apps for download on electronic devices, in more than 100 countries across the world.  For more information, please visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Since its release in early November 2010, sales momentum for Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent has continued to surpass every expectation. For the week of August 15, Heaven Is for Real is listed as the #1 best-selling non-fiction paperback title at Portugal’s three largest retailers – FNAC, Bertrand, and Continente.

Heaven Is for Real also is listed currently at #1 by New York Times (paperback nonfiction), #4 (all books) by USA Today, #2 (nonfiction paperback) by Publisher’s Weekly, #2 (nonfiction paperback) by National Public Radio, and #1 (all books) by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

In addition to being ranked near the top on numerous best seller lists, the four millionth copy of the acclaimed title has recently been printed.

“My favorite moments in publishing are those in which ideas and stories are so powerful that they transcend cultural, geographical, and linguistic boundaries,” says Daisy Hutton, Vice President of Licensing and Export Sales. “Such moments bring us together and help us to remember what unites us all as human beings.  This story of hope and transformation has touched so many lives in so many places.  José Prata and his team at Lua de Papel have done a beautiful job reaching readers in Portugal with Colton and the Burpos’ story. We look forward to the many other translated editions that will publish this fall and to the continued response of readers around the world to this amazing little book.”

The contract, including licensing rights, for Heaven Is for Real was handled by Joel Kneedler of Alive Communications.

Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-4615-8, $16.99, November 2010) is the true story of the Burpo family and Colton, who during his life-threatening illness and sudden surgery, slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He narrowly survives. Several months later while passing by the same hospital that saved him, Colton begins talking about his experiences during surgery and making a trip to heaven. The family didn’t know what to believe, but soon the evidence was clear.

Written in the first-person narrative of Colton’s father, Todd, and by New York Times best-selling author Lynn Vincent, Heaven Is for Real walks readers through the revelation of Colton’s trip, his parent’s initial uncertainties, and the lessons learned by such a small child.

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan and a volunteer fireman. His wife Sonja is a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, an active eleven year old, has an older sister Cassie and a younger brother Colby.

Lynn Vincent is the New York Times bestselling writer of Same Kind of Different as Me and Going Rogue: An American Life. The author or coauthor of nine books, Vincent worked for eleven years as senior writer, then features editor, at the national news biweekly WORLD Magazine where she covered politics, culture, and current events. A U.S. Navy veteran, Lynn is also a lecturer in writing at the World Journalism Institute and The King’s College in New York City.

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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.

Contact: Stephanie Newton

Senior Publicist

tel: (615) 902-2320

email: snewton@thomasnelson.com

twitter: @stephnewton

Since its release in early November 2010, sales momentum for Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent has continued to surpass every expectation. On July 17, Heaven Is for Real moved up to the #1 position on the Canadian Globe & Mail best seller hardcover non-fiction list.

Heaven Is for Real also is listed currently at #1 by New York Times (paperback nonfiction), #6 (all books) by USA Today, #2 (nonfiction paperback) by Publisher’s Weekly, #2 (nonfiction paperback) by National Public Radio, and #1 (all books) by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

In addition to being ranked near the top on numerous best seller lists, the 4 millionth copy of the acclaimed title has recently been printed.

“We’re thrilled to see Heaven is for Real hit #1 on The Globe and Mail best seller list,” said Rod Schumacher, Director of Export for Thomas Nelson, Inc. “To my knowledge, this is the first time a Thomas Nelson title has occupied the top spot on an international best sellers list; it’s great that Colton’s story of hope and inspiration is one that resonates with people all over the world.”

In March 2003, Todd and Sonja Burpo were on the verge of their worst nightmare – losing a child. Their 4-year-old son Colton’s appendix had unknowingly burst days before, and he was now fighting a life-threatening infection. To save Colton, surgery was the only option. But what would happen during that surgery was more than healing through modern medicine.

Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-4615-8, $16.99, November 2010) is the true story of the Burpo family and Colton, who during his life-threatening illness and sudden surgery, slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He narrowly survives. Several months later while passing by the same hospital that saved him, Colton begins talking about his experiences during surgery and making a trip to heaven. The family didn’t know what to believe, but soon the evidence was clear.

Written in the first-person narrative of Colton’s father, Todd, and by New York Times best-selling author Lynn Vincent, Heaven Is for Real walks readers through the revelation of Colton’s trip, his parent’s initial uncertainties, and the lessons learned by such a small child.

The Burpo family is represented by Joel Kneedler of Alive Communications.

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan and a volunteer fireman. His wife Sonja is a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, an active eleven year old, has an older sister Cassie and a younger brother Colby.

Lynn Vincent is the New York Times bestselling writer of Same Kind of Different as Me and Going Rogue: An American Life. The author or coauthor of nine books, Vincent worked for eleven years as senior writer, then features editor, at the national news biweekly WORLD Magazine where she covered politics, culture, and current events. A U.S. Navy veteran, Lynn is also a lecturer in writing at the World Journalism Institute and The King’s College in New York City.

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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

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Newton

Publicity Manager

tel: (615)902-2320

email: snewton@thomasnelson.com

New York Times #1 Best Seller Hits Canadian Best Seller List

Since its release in early November 2010, sales momentum for Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent has continued to surpass every expectation. For the week of April 16, Heaven Is for Real is listed at #3 on the Canadian Globe & Mail best seller list.

Heaven Is for Real also is listed currently at #1 by New York Times (paperback nonfiction), #2 (all books) by USA Today, #1 (nonfiction paperback) by Publisher’s Weekly, #1 (nonfiction paperback) by National Public Radio, and #1 (all books) by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

In addition to being ranked near the top on numerous best seller lists, the three millionth copy of the acclaimed title has recently been printed. READ MORE »