(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson’s celebrity-voiced The Word of Promise® Audio Bible has been selected as finalist in four categories of The Audio Publishers Association’s (APA) 2010 Audies competition, which include “Audio Drama,” “Multi-Voiced Performance,” “Inspirational/Faith-Based Non-Fiction,” and “Package Design.”  The Audie Awards is the only awards program in the United States devoted entirely to honoring spoken word entertainment. Winners will be announced at the Audies Gala on May 25, 2010, at The Museum of the City of New York in New York City.

The Word of Promise® Audio Bible is a scripted dramatization of the trusted New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible presented in a compelling, dramatic audio theater format. The project features the talents of Hollywood actors including Michael York (narrator), Richard Dreyfuss (Moses), Gary Sinise  (David), Jesse McCartney (young David and Daniel), Stacy Keach (Paul and Job), Ernie Hudson (Peter), Sean Astin (Elihu), Malcolm McDowell (Solomon), Joan Allen (Deborah), Lou Diamond Phillips (Mark), Luke Perry (Judas), Harry Hamlin (Nehemiah), Jim Caviezel (Jesus), and Martin Jarvis (voice of God). Complete with production by AFTRA Award winner Carl Amari (The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas), an original music score by prolific Italian composer Stefano Mainetti (Abba Pater & The Shooter), and movie-quality sound effects produced, engineered, and mixed at Cerny American Creative in Chicago—an award-winning facility ranked in the Top 3 in the nation for sound design headed by director JoBe Cerny. The 90+ hour project released through Thomas Nelson, Inc., in October in a special 79-CD box set collection and an 11-MP3 CD offering, both with a bonus features DVD. Stand-alone New Testament and Old Testament sets are also available. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.) Three Tommy Nelson children’s books were recently named recipients of the highly sought after 2010 Mom’s Choice Awards®, a premier award recognizing and honoring excellence in family-friendly products. An esteemed panel of judges including Dr. Twila C. Liggett (founder of Reading Rainbow), Julie Aigner-Clark (creator of Baby Einstein), parents, children, authors, and experts from many fields chose these three books as worthy of the coveted Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Seal: Jungle Jack’s Wackiest, Wildest, and Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna, I Believe Bunny by Tish Rabe and A Night Night Prayer by Amy Parker.

Everyone’s favorite animal expert, Jungle Jack Hanna, is no stranger to the Mom’s Choice Awards®. Last year he took home gold for both Passport Into the Wild and Romp, Stomp, Waddle Home! in the Animal Kingdom category. This year Jack makes it three with his most recent book Jungle Jack’s Wackiest, Wildest, and Weirdest Animals in the World. A true adventurer at heart, Jungle Jack Hanna has been all over the world and has seen his share of unique animals. Have you ever seen a naked mole rat or a blue-footed booby? Do you know what a binturong is? With his new book, he invites kids to look through his eyes at the strange, unusual, and sometimes downright weird characters that make up the animal world through fascinating facts, stories and colorful photos. The book also includes a bonus DVD with hilarious bloopers from Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild and other shows from his career. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.) After Pubtrack <http://www.ecpa.org/pubtrack.php>  final category analysis was released for 4th quarter sales, Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that the company has the largest Christian fiction retail market share percentage, an average of over 21%, for 2009. The report ranks the Christian retail sales of more than 200 publishers competing in this growing category.

Thomas Nelson’s Fiction Division launched in January 2004 under the leadership of Allen Arnold, Senior Vice President and Publisher. The division has grown by leaps and bounds, but its goal remains the same: to reach the broadest possible audience with the best possible stories – always written from a Christian worldview. “We listen closely to the readers and retailers to deliver the optimal mix of genres, formats and prices for our novels. And in just five years, we’re honored to be the #1 Christian Fiction publisher  – with more than one out of every five novels bought at Christian Retail last year published by Thomas Nelson,” said Arnold.  “We’re grateful, humbled, and passionate to see what God has in store for us in the next five years.”

Nashville, TN—The American Booksellers Association this week announced publically its January 2010 Indie Next List of outstanding titles.  Among the Notables is Saving Cicadas (December 2009, Thomas Nelson) by award-winning and critically-acclaimed South Carolina author Nicole Seitz.

The ABA’s Indie Next List is “drawn from bookseller-recommended favorite handsells, epitomizing the heart and soul of passionate bookselling.” READ MORE »

Nashville, Tenn.—American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has announced its finalists in fourteen categories for the best Christian fiction published in calendar year 2008.  Six Thomas Nelson novels from a variety of genres have been honored:

DEBUT AUTHOR
In the Shadow of the Sun King  (Golden Keyes Parsons)

LITS
Sweet Caroline  (Rachel Hauck)

LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
The Convenient Groom (Denise Hunter)

SUSPENSE
Anathema (Colleen Coble)
Lonestar Sanctuary  (Colleen Coble)

WOMEN’S FICTION
The Perfect Life (Robin Lee Hatcher)

ACFW boasts over 1800 members worldwide—authors, editors, agents, publicists and aspiring writers—working “to promote Christian Fiction through developing the skills of its authors, educating them in the market, and serving as an advocate in the industry.” Award winners will be named at this year’s annual conference in Denver, CO, September 17-20, at a ceremony to be held Saturday night.  Winning authors will receive plaques; their editors will also be recognized.