(Nashville, Tenn.)—The Fiction division of Thomas Nelson is proud to announce that three titles have been named as finalists for the 2009 RITA Award in the Inspirational Romance category.

Love Starts with Elle   by Rachel Hauck (Ami McConnell, editor)
The Convenient Groom  by Denise Hunter (Amanda Bostic and Leslie Peterson, editors)
The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher (Ami McConnell and Leslie Peterson, editors)

The RITA Award, sponsored by the Romance Writers of America, is considered the romance publishing industry’s highest award of distinction for authors, also recognizing and honoring the editors of exceptional novels. Named for the first RWA president, Rita Clay Estrada, the award honors romance fiction published in the previous year.  Finalists are named in twelve categories from a submission pool of more than 1,000 novels and novellas.  Winners of this year’s awards will be announced July 18, 2009 at RWA’s 29th Annual National Conference to be held in Washington, D.C.

(Nashville, Tenn.) Today Thomas Nelson’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Hyatt announced changes to his executive leadership team. The changes were made to more tightly align sales, marketing, and publishing, while placing product development directly under his oversight.

Mark Schoenwald immediately assumes the duties of President and Chief Operating Officer. All of the company’s publishing, marketing, and sales will be consolidated under him. Schoenwald, who has served as Nelson’s Chief Sales Officer since 2004, will continue to report to Hyatt. READ MORE »

10 provocative questions create a blueprint for the path to success, purpose, and potential

(Nashville, Tenn.) What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s the age-old question asked of countless children. And while aspirations of becoming firefighters, ballerinas, or astronauts often change as children mature, even more of those dreams seem to sadly fade away into nothing at all—giving way to the toils and humdrum of everyday life. New York Times best selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell offers readers a one-of-a–kind tool for determining if their dreams are actually within reach.

In his latest book, Put Your Dream to the Test, 10 Questions to Help You See it and Seize It (Thomas Nelson Publishers, ISBN:978-0-7852-1412-0, March 2009, $25.99), Maxwell challenges readers to take up the relentless pursuit of their dream by offering concrete, realistic strategies for achieving success and realizing one’s dreams. Setting this book apart from all other career guides is a quick, focused quiz to assist readers in ascertaining the likelihood they will be successful in achieving their specific goals. READ MORE »

The American Patriot’s Bible Offers Inspiration During Recession Depression

(Nashville, Tenn.) In the midst of the recession, a new Bible project is offering hope to rekindle the American spirit. The American Patriot’s Bible (May 2009, Thomas Nelson) takes readers on a powerful journey revealing how faith has seen American citizens through troubled times, as well as impacted the overall formation of this great nation. Joining with the sacred New King James version (NKJV) text are stories of American heroes, quotations from and articles about many of America’s greatest thinkers, historic photographs, and beautiful illustrations that present the rich heritage and tremendous future of the United States of America.

“America stands without equal as a beacon of hope and freedom in a hurting world. Our Founding Fathers delivered to us a system of government that has enjoyed unprecedented success: we are now the world’s longest ongoing constitutional republic. Well over two hundred years under one form of government is an accomplishment unknown among contemporary nations,” notes Dr. Richard G. Lee who serves as the general editor for the project, as well as founding pastor of First Redeemer Church (Atlanta, GA), and speaker for the There’s Hope America ministry. READ MORE »

“After I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn’t ever gon’ have no kind a’ future.  But I found out everybody’s different – the same kind of different as me: we’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us.” — Denver Moore

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.
An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.
A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.
A true story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.

For the week of March 22,2009, Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent will be listed as the #12 nonfiction paperback on the New York Times Best Seller List – its 52nd consecutive week on the list. The highest point reached over the past year has been #11, which was reached on two separate occasions.

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