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In September everyone must make time to sit and watch the leaves change and read a good book.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Shannon K Evans and Convergent Books for the September 10, 2024 release of The Mystics Would Like a Word.
Discover a rich legacy of audacious women who forged a spirituality that is more inclusive, surprising, and empowering than we ever imagined.
“The feminist reading of women mystics I’ve wanted for ages . . . invites us into the hopeful possibility for communal healing that we desperately need right now.”—Sarah Bessey, bestselling author of Field Notes for the Wilderness and Jesus Feminist
Is there a Christian spirituality that embraces the entire reality of womanhood?
The answer, Shannon K. Evans suggests, is an emphatic yes. There is a spirituality that meets us in every part of our lives, developed by the women who came before us. Six mystics—Teresa of Ávila, Margery Kempe, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Thérèse of Lisieux—revealed a faith big enough to hold the female experiences of sex and desire, the yearning for bodily autonomy, the challenges of motherhood and identity, as well as life with male authority and—sometimes—violence. These women, self-determining, stubborn, and unapologetically themselves, asked questions in their time that are startlingly prescient today, and fought for women’s experiences to be heard, understood, respected, and recognized as holy.
In The Mystics Would Like a Word, readers will discover the story of Christian faith and spirituality as
Congratulations to Carolyn Leiloglou and Waterbrook Books for the September 10, 2024 release of Between Flowers and Bones.
In a world where paintings become portals and adventure lurks behind every canvas, the young Restorationists discover that every Gift was made to fight the darkness in the second novel of the thrilling series from the award-winning author of Beneath the Swirling Sky.
Twelve-year-old Georgia assumed she would one day be the last Restorationist protecting art from evil forces. So she was thrilled when her cousin Vincent finally joined the family calling.
But Vincent’s flashier Gift makes Georgia feel like a sidekick rather than a hero. And things only get more complicated and perilous after he willingly steps into the heart of danger.
Will the remnants of the Restorationists’ society fracture under the pressure of the Distortionists’ schemes? Or is Georgia’s Gift really enough to rescue her family, the art world, the Restorationists—and ultimately save the day?
C
ongratulations to Carole Angle Avriett and Regnery Books for the October 1, 2024 release of Midnight In Ironbottom Sound: The Harrowing WWII Story of Heroism in the Shark Infested Waters of Guadalcanal.
A captivating World War II narrative of an untold story in the Pacific theater
In the heart of the Pacific, where the tides of World War II surged, lies a tale of heroism on the high seas—a tale brought to life in Midnight in Ironbottom Sound. This is the untold story of the USS Gregory (APD-3), a ship manned by unknown sailors whose bravery echoes through the annals of history. Upon the decks of this vessel, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer and Mess Attendant Charles J. French, representing the highest and lowest ranks on the USS Gregory, become the focal points of this gripping narrative. In the turbulent waters of the Pacific, their stories, interwoven with the ship’s saga—whose vital mission was to transport Marine Raiders to bloody beaches— emerge as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering commitment to duty.
Avriett unfolds a a brief but catastrophic chapter of naval history that is often overlooked–that of unremitting warfare during the first few weeks following the initial invasion of the Solomon Islands to the demise of the USS Gregory four weeks later. Within this crucible, the USS Gregory, marked as a “minor” player, takes center stage. The ship’s designation as an APD, its brave crew, and the harrowing night of terror they faced, set the stage for an unforgettable story.
Avriett meticulously reveals their heroism and pays homage to the eternal truth that courage has neither cPolityolor nor prerequisites, and that valor hails from within.
Contracts
Haylee Graham signed with Tyndale for the November 2025 release of Against All Darkness.
Mark Dever and Caleb Morell with 9Marks signed with Crossway for the July 2026 release of Polity.
Jack Woodville London signed with University of Oklahoma Press for the April 2026 release of Audacity: A Circumnavigation of the Historic Boundaries of the Republic of
Texas.
New Clients
Tucker Hamilton and Veronica Thompson recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
[title] => WordServe September News 2024
[desc] => In September everyone must make time to sit and watch the leaves change and read a good book. Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Shannon K Evans and Convergent Books for … Continue reading "WordServe September News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/10/01/wordserve-september-news-2024/
[date] => Tue, 01 Oct 2024 23:35:27 +0000
[comments] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/10/01/wordserve-september-news-2024/#respond
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August, a time to soak up the sun, spread happiness, and to read books.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Michaela O’Donnell PhD with Lisa Pratt Slayton and Baker Books for the August 20, 2024 release of Life in Flux: Navigational Skills to Guide and Ground You in an Ever-Changing World.
If it seems like the world is in a constant state of flux, that’s because it is. Our work, our families, our friendships, and our society are always changing, which can leave us feeling disoriented and discouraged. And while lots of people offer “tips and tricks” or “life hacks” to help us cope, the real secret to feeling like we’re standing on solid ground is deeper–and we can’t do it alone.
In Life in Flux, leadership, career, and vocation experts Michaela O’Donnell and Lisa Pratt Slayton teach the practical skills needed in order to navigate constant change. They show you how to
· face the pain and longings that come with change
· do the inner work of waking up and letting go
· embrace the unknown with confidence
· listen to God’s guiding voice
· get to know yourself, really
· find and keep friends for the journey
· stay attuned to your rhythms and values moving forward
When you feel truly at home in your world and with yourself, you can do hard things with great courage. Life in Flux can get you there.
Congratulations to Natalie Runion and David C Cook for the September 3, 2024 release of The House That Jesus Built: Leading Our Churches Back to God’s Original Blueprint.
At a time when churches seem far from God’s design, bestselling author Natalie Runion challenges us as Christians to follow the Bible’s blueprint for building holy, healthy churches that disciple holy, healthy followers of Christ.
In recent years, we’ve seen the “great resignation” in Church leadership and attendance, the devastation of spiritual abuse, and the breakdown of faith within our culture. In The House That Jesus Built, Natalie encourages all of us to recognize our role as Jesus’ disciples in rebuilding our churches, brick by brick. With personal stories and practical ideas, she guides us to:
- Be honest about past disappointments while still engaging with our church communities
- Ask how we as Christ followers have contributed to pain in our churches and how we can help heal one another
- Use the book of Acts as the blueprint for empowering the family of God to be the family of God
- Understand how even the apostles wrestled with their places in the early Church but remained committed to love God, love people, and make disciples
- Be unified on the foundation of Jesus Christ
The House That Jesus Built will stir your heart to see God’s churches realigned with the Great Commission and the Great Command. As Natalie reminds us, we are the Church. We are the ones who can partner with Jesus to build something beautiful out of the rubble—and back on the Rock.
Congratulations to Jim Ramos and David C Cook for the September 3, 2024 release of Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God.
Males are born. Men are made. Dialed In motivates and equips men to become spiritual leaders in their homes, churches, and communities as they stand strong in a dangerous world.
Popular podcaster Jim Ramos speaks to the hunger deep within the masculine soul in this practical exploration of Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. Men who wonder how to lead well in today’s confusing culture will find:
Twenty key qualities of a man of God, such as servanthood, vigilance, and faithfulness
What it means to function at “full capacity” in every aspect of life
Insights into why Paul’s letters aren’t just for pastors but for all of us
What true masculinity looks like in God’s eyes
How men can live a life surrendered to Jesus Christ
God made man to live at his highest level—both spiritually and physically—to carry the full weight of his masculine soul. Including self-assessments and questions for small groups, Dialed In goes beyond vague principles to teach men how to become God’s man and hear the words their souls crave: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Congratulations to Bill Myers and Fidelis for the September 25, 2024 release of Seer: Rendezvous with God Volume Five: A Novel.
After his death, including a tour of heaven, Will realizes Earth’ s great need and agrees to return to help. With Jesus’ instruction and their occasional visits to Old Testament times and prophets, our hero learns through failure and mishaps (always with a touch of Myers’ s humor), how to prepare for the battles God has called him to fight.
Contracts
Kelly Edmiston signed with Nav Press for the March 2026 release of Spiritual Sexuality.
Serena Sigillito signed with Penguin Random house for the May 2026 release of Listen to Your Body.
New Clients
Matt Winquist, Kelly Winquist, Derrick Warfel, and Spencer Jones recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Cellebratiing
Congratulations to Jamie Erickson. Her book Holy Hygge has hit the milestone of 50,000 in sales!! Congratulations and Well Done!
[title] => WordServe August News 2024 [desc] => August, a time to soak up the sun, spread happiness, and to read books. Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Michaela O’Donnell PhD with Lisa Pratt Slayton and Baker Books for …Continue reading "WordServe August News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/08/30/wordserve-august-news-2024/ [date] => Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:46:57 +0000 [comments] => ) [1722440512] => Array ( [img] =>One benefit of summer is that we have more light to read by.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Kelsey Scism and Bethany House Publishers for the July 31, 2024 release of One Year with Jesus: A Weekly Devotional Journal for Middle School Girls.
Every girl’s guide to discovering who you truly are in Jesus
Being a middle school girl is . . . a lot. It seems like every day presents a new challenge as you navigate friendship, crushes, girl drama, stress, school, and confusing emotions.
One Year with Jesus is your guide for dealing with the stuff that life is throwing at you right now. Think of this devotional journal as a safe space where you can get real with God–and where God can bring you the peace and comfort you need.
Inside this book you’ll find:
· 52 devotions to help you apply God’s Word when life gets messy–one for every week of the year
· Reflection questions to help you grow closer to Jesus
· Journaling space so you can be honest with God about how you feel
These early teen years can be really hard–but they can also be really beautiful. Because it’s here that God shapes the girl you once were into the woman he created you to be.
Congratulations to Christopher Izant and Diversion Books for the August 13, 2024 release of Final Engagement: A Marine’s Last Mission and the Surrender of Afghanistan.
Through a deadly last showdown beside Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, Marine Corps veteran Christopher Izant illustrates the impossible conditions and strategic blunders that disillusioned a generation of American warriors and all but guaranteed defeat.
They were stepping into a world of hidden minefields, cultural clashes, “green-on-blue” insider attacks, and a patient, relentless enemy. But Christopher Izant and the Marines on his team volunteered to train and fight alongside the Afghan National Security Forces despite the risks and a seemingly futile mission they would term “advise and abandon” made by policymakers a world away.
Final Engagement embeds readers with then-Lieutenant Izant and his team of combat advisors at Combat Outpost Taghaz during one of Operation Enduring Freedom’s most crucial and challenging campaigns. It was 2012, southern Helmand Province, and with fixed base-closure and withdrawal timelines, the Marines had only six months to sustain the hard-won victories of the infantry units and prepare the Afghan Border Police to stand on their own. But before Border Advisory Team 1 lay down arms, there would be one last deadly battle with a devastating aftermath.
Izant relives a fight in the Afghan borderlands that forebode the fall of Kabul nearly a decade later and confronts the violence and anguish that transformed a generation of American and Afghan warriors from idealist volunteers for a just war to disillusioned veterans of a lost cause.
Contracts
Angela Herrington signed with Broadleaf Books for the December 2025 release of Beware the Old Witch in the Woods.
Lisa Colón DeLay signed with Broadleaf Books for the February 2026 release of Enticed.
What We’re Cellebratiing
Congratulations to Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee. Their WWII novel, The Long March Home, won International Book Award.
[title] => WordServe July News 2024 [desc] => One benefit of summer is that we have more light to read by. Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Kelsey Scism and Bethany House Publishers for the July 31, 2024 release …Continue reading "WordServe July News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/07/31/wordserve-july-news-2024/ [date] => Wed, 31 Jul 2024 15:41:52 +0000 [comments] => ) [1719839559] => Array ( [img] =>Summer reading shouldn’t be only for kids but also for adults. Books go hand in hand with beachy weather and bright skies .
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Jennifer Strickland and Regnery Faith Publishing for the June 11, 2024 release of I Am a Woman: Taking Back Our Name.
It’s time for women to reclaim what makes them uniquely female and affirm God’s breathtaking design for womanhood.
“Wake up!” cries Jennifer Strickland in this bracing call to women. With womanhood itself under a withering cultural attack, this is no time for Christians to stand teary-eyed on the sidelines.
Men are invading women’s sports and even bathrooms, while schools indoctrinate children in lies about gender fluidity. The assault of insanity on reality took normal women by surprise, but we can’t waste another minute in fighting back.
Our culture needs an answer to transgenderism, pornography, sexual violence, and the lies that are crippling our young women and robbing them of their dignity We cannot abdicate our responsibility to the next generation. It is up to women who fear God to restore the true meaning of our name.
Women have had enough. And now it’s time to rise up as emboldened warriors to declare the truth against the gender-bending culture’s lies.
Jennifer Strickland, a podcaster, author, and former model, is calling women to use their influence to expose the lies of gender ideology and point children and teens back to God’s beautiful design for male and female.
In I Am a Woman, Strickland calls Christians to uphold the dignity of womanhood with clarity and compassion. She urges readers to cherish the power imbedded in the name “Woman”—because women are not undefinable. The name “Woman” means guardian, rescuer, advocate, protector, and life-bearer. Women must reclaim their name and reject any agenda that diminishes the dignity of sex and gender for future generations—before it’s too late.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Felicetti and Samantha Vicent-Alexander and Eerdmans Publishing for the July 2, 2024 release of Irreverent Prayers: Talking to God When You’re Seriously Sick.
Two pastors share their experiences with serious illness—and their candid, darkly humorous prayers for making it through.
Samantha Vincent-Alexander almost died from a septic leg infection. Elizabeth Felicetti underwent aggressive treatment for both breast and lung cancer in the space of a few months—and then the cancer came back. As Episcopal priests, they know well the typical prayers offered in times like these. But when you’re seriously sick, you need more than psalms and sentimentality.
You need to tell God how you really feel.
With vulnerability and wry humor, Felicetti and Vincent-Alexander share the prayers they wish they had when they were ill: thanksgiving for one-size-fits-all hospital underwear, curses against Tylenol, frustrated appeals when well-wishers call you brave or inspiring. At once faithful and brutally honest, these prayers offer readers a more candid way of communicating with the God who understands human suffering with an incarnational intimacy.
Talking to God when you’re fighting serious illness can feel impossible. But God can bear our doubt, anger, anxiety, and grief. This unconventional prayerbook helps readers access a deeper relationship with God in raw times—and offers them a place of solidarity and spiritual rest.
Congratulations to John A Dailey and Knox Press for the August 13, 2024 release of Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations.
Tough, Rugged Bastards is the memoir of an ordinary guy who seized an extraordinary opportunity to become one of the most elite warfighters in America during the most volatile times in the Global War on Terror.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The eighty-six-man “Detachment One” was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a “proof-of-concept” to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror.
For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed. The Commanding Officer—Colonel Robert J. Coates, a Marine Force Recon legend—was given his pick of personnel. One of the four team leaders he selected was Gunnery Sergeant John A. Dailey. Coates gave Dailey and the others free rein to select their men from a crew of proven Force Recon Marines with the sole stipulation that they be: “Tough, rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet.”
These men built a unit from nothing, trained for unknown missions in an unknown location, and deployed amid controversy and skepticism. Once in Iraq, they were dubbed “Task Unit Raider” and quickly won over the naysayers who doubted the Marine’s ability to operate successfully in the fluid and unconventional special operations environment.
This book tells Dailey’s story of the creation, training, and volatile 2004 Iraq deployment of Task Unit Raider that led to the creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Det-1 served as the bridge between the Raiders of WWII and the Marine Raiders of today.
Contracts
Shannon Evans with Eric Clayton signed with Paulist Press for the June 2025 release of Our Mother Too: The World Embraces Mary.
Courtney Ellis signed with InterVarsity Press for the February 2026 release of Weathering Change.
New Clients
Noelle Mering, Gretchen Hammond, Julie Belshe, and Dr. Angela Kaye Love recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to Carolyn Leiloglou and Katie Powner. Their books – Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou and The Wind Blows in the Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner won Selah Awards under the categories of “Middle Grade Novels” and “General Fiction”
Congratulations to Susan Cleland. Her book “Mission Vigilant: A Mother’s Crusade to Stem the Tide of Veteran Suicide ” was honored in the 2024 International Book Awards, by the American Book Fest.
[title] => WordServe June News 2024 [desc] => Summer reading shouldn’t be only for kids but also for adults. Books go hand in hand with beachy weather and bright skies . Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Jennifer …Continue reading "WordServe June News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/07/01/wordserve-june-news-2024/ [date] => Mon, 01 Jul 2024 13:12:39 +0000 [comments] => ) [1717190258] => Array ( [img] =>We apologize but the April Water Cooler did not go out as scheduled.
Reading strengthens your mind, which is essential to your well-being. Research reveals that just 30 minutes a day of reading can improve people’s life experiences . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Kevin G. Ford with Jim Singleton and IV Press for the April 2, 2024 release of Attentive Church Leadership.
The world has changed. The changes around us present daunting challenges to the church, and we minister in places we have never been in before. But there are no one-size-fits-all solutions because every church needs to attend to its specific situation and calling. We need to listen for not only what to do but also what not to do. In a world screaming in a thousand directions for our focus, it’s essential for us to become attentive to God, our congregation, and our community.
Kevin Ford and Jim Singleton call for attentive churches with attentive leaders who can discern cultural and organizational change and pivot accordingly. Healthy transformation starts with a posture of attention. We need to see what God is already doing in our midst: in our own soul, in our people, and in the communities and culture around us. Chapters explore key questions that attentive leaders ask and offer case studies of attentive churches that have navigated the issues and transitions facing them. As we practice habits of attention, God leads us through the highs and lows of change into the exciting adventure of being on mission with him.
Congratulations to Catherine Ricketts and Broadleaf Books for the April 16, 2024 release of The Mother Artist: Portraits of Ambition, Limitation, and Creativity.
Are caregiving and creative labor fundamentally at odds? Is it possible for mothers to attend to both?
Few women artists feature prominently in the history of art, and even fewer who are mothers. How are motherhood and artmaking at play and at odds in the lives of women? What can we learn about ambition, limitation, and creativity from women who persist in doing both?
Forged in the stress of early motherhood, The Mother Artist explores the fraught yet generative ties between caregiving and creative practice. As a young mother working at a museum, essayist Catherine Ricketts began asking questions about the making of motherhood and the making of art. Now, with incantatory prose and an intuitive gaze, she twines intimate meditations on parenthood with studies of the work and lives of painters, writers, dancers, musicians, and other creatives. Ricketts takes readers through the studios of mother artists, placing us in the company of women from the past and the present who persevere in both art and caregiving. We encounter Senga Nengudi’s sculptures, which celebrate the pregnant body, and Toni Morrison’s powerful writing on childbirth. We behold Joan Didion’s meditations on maternal grief and Alice Neel’s arresting portraits of mothers and babies. And we observe the ambition of sculptor Ruth Asawa, the activism of printmaker Elizabeth Catlett, and the constancy of writer Madeleine L’Engle. The Mother Artist welcomes us into a community of creatives and includes full-color images of their work.
Part memoir, part biography, and part inquiry into the visual, literary, and performing arts, The Mother Artist contends that a brutal world needs art made by those who have cared for the vulnerable. This book is for mothers who aspire to make art, anyone eager to discover the stories of visionary women, and all who long for a revolution of tenderness.
Congratulations to Christy Bauman and Convergent Books for the April 29, 2024 release of Her Rites.
Every woman wants wholeness—to be at home in her body, in her relationships, in her life. But women too often feel that they don’t belong to themselves. The path to wholeness, to a woman belonging to herself, is formidable, and women know they can’t travel it alone.
Author, teacher, and therapist Dr. Christy Angelle Bauman has dedicated her life to guiding women on this path to meaning and profound joy.
In Her Rites, Dr. Bauman takes you into her office and through six transformative exercises: a deep dive into the most common rites of passage in every woman’s life, when she sometimes loses hold of herself but also has a unique opportunity to reclaim herself.
• Birth: claiming how and why you came into the world
• Initiation: coming of age
• Exile: finding yourself
• Creation: bringing something new into the world
• Intuition: acquiring embodied wisdom that comes later in life
• Legacy: living with emotional and spiritual readiness for one’s own death
These rites help women to find wholeness and self-knowledge. Included in Her Rites are ritual templates and exercises that Dr. Bauman employs with her clients, which will help any woman incorporate the principles of self-reclamation into her daily life.
Dr. Bauman has seen again and again that by learning to pause and to reflect on these key moments, we can come home to ourselves and receive the gift of flourishing.
Congratulations to Rick Lawrence and Moody Publishers for the June 4, 2024 release of Editing Jesus: Confronting the Distorted Faith of the American Church.
We need Jesus. The whole Jesus.
The American church is in decline. Secularism is fast gaining traction in culture. Ministry leaders and Christians who love the church are rightly concerned about this momentum. We’re scrambling to find solutions.
Longtime Christian journalist, researcher, and ministry leader Rick Lawrence believes that the driving force propelling the church into irrelevance is its propensity reduce Jesus. Deeply researched and comprehensively sourced, Editing Jesus, explores the 8 ways the Jesus of the contemporary church has been edited to fit the spirit of the age. Lawrence writes on:
The Co-Mingling of Kingdoms
The Marginalization of the Poor
The Golden-Calfing of Materialism
The Dismissing of the Supernatural
The Siren-Song of Platforming
The De-Prioritizing of Justice . . . and more
This book is for every person who loves Jesus and His church—who longs to see the real Jesus worshiped and exalted. And it’s for every person who wonders how the wheels came off Western Christianity and harbors a hunger that goes unmet in the church. When we discover and return to the unedited Jesus, it’s impossible to remain unchanged.
The church begins and ends with Jesus. The whole Jesus.
Contracts
Roger Hutchison signed with 1517 Media for the July 2025 release of Sparrow’s Easter Garden and the September 2025 release of Sparrow’s Blue Christmas.
Jerry Jamison signed with Rowman & Littlefield for the June 2025 release of Dead Air: True Crime.
Marc Cameron signed with Worthy Publishing for the September 2026 release of HEALING FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD: A Guide for How to Heal Your Relationships Through Secure Attachment.
Jerry Lathan signed with Forefront Books for the November 2024 release of Recitals.
Chuck Blakeman signed with Entrepreneur Media for the July 2025 release of Serve Don’t Sell.
Henry Sledge signed with Post Hill Press for the August 2025 release of The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed: A Father, A Son and How WWII In the Pacific Shaped Their Lives.
Shawn Horn signed with New Harbinger Publications for the February 2026 release of Communication Skills for Adults with ADHD: A Shame-Free Guide to Manage Hyperverbal Expression, Overcome Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Achieve Social Success,
Katie Powner signed with Bethany House for the May 2025 release of Come Around Ranch.
Alexandra MacKillop signed with Rowman & Littlefield for the September 2025 release of Go With Your Flow.
Laurie Polich Short signed with Bethany House for the January 2026 release of Tracking God In Your Life.
Jessie Cruickshank with Julia Schmaltz signed with NAVPress for the April 2026 release of Your Life Is a Good News Story.
New Clients
Julia Schmaltz, Hayley Graham, Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Amelia Tomasi-Ellenstein, Renee Swanson, Adam Boggs, Courtney Ellis, Abgail Favale, Jayne Parenti, and Sarah McDugal recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to Carolyn Leiloglou and Linda MacKillop. Their books – Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou and Hotel, Oscar, Mike, Echo by Linda MacKillop were finalists for the category Young People’s Literature by The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).
Congratulations to Russell W. Joyce. His book, His Face Like Mine: Finding God’s Love in Our Wounds received a positive review by Publishers Weekly.
Congratulations to Katie Powner. Her book, The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass was a finalist in the Contemporary category by the ACFW. The Carol Awards are ACFW’s recognition for the best Christian fiction published in the previous calendar year.
[title] => WordServe May News 2024 [desc] => We apologize but the April Water Cooler did not go out as scheduled. Reading strengthens your mind, which is essential to your well-being. Research reveals that just 30 minutes a day of reading can improve people’s life experiences . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new …Continue reading "WordServe May News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/05/31/wordserve-may-news-2024/ [date] => Fri, 31 May 2024 21:17:38 +0000 [comments] => ) [1711984847] => Array ( [img] =>March is National Reading Month. . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Jamie Sumner and Atheneum Books for the April 9, 2024 release of Deep Water.
Six hours.
One marathon swim.
That’s all Tully Birch needs to get her life straightened out. With the help of her best friend, Arch, Tully braves the waters of Lake Tahoe to break the record for the youngest person ever to complete the famous “Godfather swim.” She wants to achieve something no one in the world has done, because if she does, maybe, just maybe, her mom will come back.
The swim starts off well—heart steady, body loose, Arch in charge of snacks as needed. But for Tully, all that time alone with her thoughts allows memories to surface. And in the silence of deep waters, sadness can sink you. When the swim turns dangerous, Tully fights for her survival. Does she keep going and risk her own safety and Arch’s? Or does she quit to save them both, even if it means giving up hope that her mother will return?
Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Amen and Tyndale Refresh for the March 26, 2024 release of Raising Mentally Strong Kids: How to Combine the Power of Neuroscience with Love and Logic to Grow Confident, Kind, Responsible, and Resilient Children and Young Adults.
Parenting is about to get easier–and a whole lot more effective….
In a time when so many children and young adults seem to be struggling, parents are looking for help in bringing up mentally healthy kids who are equipped to thrive. Finally, evidence-based help is now available for overwhelmed parents who are trying their best but feel like they’re falling short.
#1 New York Times bestselling author and neuropsychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen and child psychologist Dr. Charles Fay have teamed up to reveal what’s missing from most parenting books. It’s the fact that you need to address both the brain and the mind of your child (and yourself) in order to effectively raise good and strong humans.
In this groundbreaking book where neuroscience meets love and logic, parents are given practical tools to help children of all ages go from behavioral problems like defiance, meltdowns, and power struggles to being:
- Responsible, confident, kind, and resilient
- Better prepared to make good decisions
- More focused and motivated
- Better able to have healthy relationships, and more….
Let Dr. Amen and Dr. Fay help you learn how to be the parent you’ve always dreamed you could be―and raise great kids who are on their way to reaching their full potential, including their best possible mental health.
Congratulations to Jim Putman and Faith-Happenings Publishing the March 20, 2024 release of Church is a Team Sport: A Championship Strategy for Doing Ministry Together.
How do churches grow and make an impact in their community . . . and the world? They work together in intentional ways in order to maximize everyone’s gifts. They’re mission-driven.
Church Is a Team Sport shows proven ways to push believers, new and mature, toward growth as both Christians–and leaders. Through this powerful, thought-provoking volume, ministers both in the congregation and on staff will discover how to expand the church one soul at a time.
Making disciples is the crux of pastor Jim Putman’s message. The plan works. Caring for people, following up on stray sheep, and teaching what it means to love God and obey him. That’s how Church Is a Team Sport transforms Christians from Monday-morning quarterbacks into dynamic players.
Contracts
Robert Elmer signed with Lexham Press for the September 2025 release of Everyday Prayers.
Thomas Sileo and Jennifer Ballou signed with St. Martin’s Publishing for the January 2026 release of Joyful Resilience: A Gold Star Army Veteran’s Battle Plan For Conquering Life.
Cameron Bellm signed with Wm. B Eerdman’s Publishing for the October 2025 release of The Sacrament of Paying Attention: Contemplative Practices for Restoring Sacred Human Communion.
New Clients
Chuck Blakeman, Andrew Lang, Judy Peres, Marc Cameron, Kathy Saunders, Tabitha McDuffee, and Tony Williams recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
[title] => WordServe March News 2024 [desc] => March is National Reading Month. . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Jamie Sumner and Atheneum Books for the April 9, 2024 release of Deep Water. Six hours.One marathon …
Continue reading "WordServe March News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/04/01/wordserve-march-news-2024/ [date] => Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:20:47 +0000 [comments] => ) [1709271060] => Array ( [img] =>National Library Lover’s Month in February is dedicated to the people who love whole buildings devoted to reading, housing, organizing, categorizing, finding, studying, and otherwise loving books. . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Robert L Wise and FaithHappenings Publishing for the November 28, 2023 release of The Conspiracy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer — Stopping Hitler.
The time has come to tell the story again. Westerners tend to forget that evil dictators don’t disappear. The West must remember the story of a man who laid down his life to stop tyranny in order to bring peace in his time.
The almost unknown account of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s full involvement in the attempts to assassinate Adolph Hitler remains one of the extraordinary stories of World War II. A towering theologian and patriot, Bonhoeffer did not retreat from joining the fight to stop the Nazis. In these pages you will discover an explosive adventure that remains an ultimate witness to the truth.
After his capture, his finance Maria von Wedemeyer, never gave up attempting to find him and stand with him. In later years, Maria was to become the leading scientist with the Remington Rand Corporation, pioneering the way for the modern computer.
The author’s interview with Bonhoeffer’s godson, Christop Von Dohnanyi, sheds more light on who Bonhoeffer was and what he accomplished. You will find this thoroughly researched though novelized story of Bonhoeffer’s involvement in WWII to be gripping and compelling.
Congratulations to Thomas Quinn with Paige Kaner for the January 28, 2024 release of Game Changer: Al Ross: The Man Who Transformed the NBA.
In 1971 one man fought the ABA and the NBA all the way to the US Supreme Court–and won!
Determined and principled, rookie lawyer Al Ross fought for players who had been underpaid and badly treated by team owners. Against the odds, his victory transformed the game of basketball as we know it, and its impact is still felt today.
Al Ross is a sports and entertainment attorney turned real estate mogul. He fought hard for all his athletes and entertainers, especially against the racially charged ABA and some of its franchise owners, most of whom were very wealthy, powerful white men. He did so to ensure his athletes (mainly young, black athletes) got the best deals imaginable and a fair shake.
Set against the backdrop of The Civil Rights Movement, perhaps, his biggest fight was against racism in all the world of professional sports. Al, then a young sports agent and newly admitted lawyer to the California Bar went to war on behalf of the then very young, very talented, Spencer Haywood, who was being horribly mistreated and racially discriminated against by the ABA, specifically, the Denver Rockets owner and franchise. Al assembled a team of legal experts and took Spencer’s case all the way to the US Supreme Court where Al and his team won the verdict. This win would not only benefit his client, the young Haywood, but would forever change the lives of so many young players who came after Spencer and benefitted greatly from the verdict. It changed the NBA and the world of professional sports forever by instituting The Al Ross “Hardship Rule”.
The ABA/NBA connection was only the beginning of his illustrious career. He dealt with some of the best players, talent and most powerful men in basketball, football, baseball and entertainment. He negotiated in basketball against Jack Kent Cook, then owner of the L.A. Lakers. Sam Shuman, owner of the Seattle Supersonics, Abe Pollen with Bullets, Jerry Colangelo with the Suns, and in football against Al Davis of the Raiders and Don Shula then of the 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins, and many others.
Congratulations to Angela J Herrington and Eerdmans for the February 20, 2024 release of Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.
How to heal religious trauma by releasing harmful beliefs
Have you experienced #ChurchHurt? Are you frustrated by judgmental church people supporting oppressive systems? Do you have doubts about the faith tradition you were raised in but are afraid of losing your community? Angela J. Herrington has been there. And with over a decade of experience as a life coach, she can teach you how to begin healing religious trauma through deconstruction.
Lively and empathetic, Angela will gently guide you through deconstructing your faith. This concise and actionable handbook will
• give you permission to trust yourself,
• show you how to seek new perspectives and information,
• teach you how to embrace vulnerable exploration and self-compassion, and
• help you release unhealthy beliefs that are harming you and marginalized persons.
Deconstructing your long-held beliefs can be isolating and overwhelming. But you don’t have to do it alone. Begin your healing journey with Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.
Congratulations to Glenn Allen with Richard Kaufman for January 19, 2024 release of Played: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
American Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage, unmoved by the new Nazi regime’s anti-Jewish doctrines, leads the fight to participate in the 1936 Berlin Games after much debate of a U.S. boycott. Brundage desperately wants to be on the International Olympic Committee. If he doesn’t get the Americans to Berlin, he can kiss that dream goodbye.
When the vote is decided in Brundage’s favor, AP Sports Editor, Alan J. Gould, friend and champion of the athletes, travels to Berlin to cover all of the “games” being played. Through his eyes we see the machinations of Brundage’s complicity with the Nazis, the tenacity of the proud American athletes, and the extreme pressure from the Nazis on their German athletes. Their stories, heartbreaking and tragic, give rise to feats of heroism that go beyond the playing field.
PLAYED is a cauldron of politics, sports, espionage and courage. Along the way we meet some of the most famous people of the time; Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Joseph Goebbels, Leni Riefenstahl, Eva Braun and the madman himself, who vowed to “make Germany great again,” Adolf Hitler.
Contracts
Marissa Burt and Kelsey Elizabeth Kramer signed with Brazos Press for the October 2025 release of In The Way They Should Go.
Jamie Sumner signed with Simon & Schuster for the January 2027 release of Fly.
Brian Byrd signed with Post Hill Press for the March 2025 release of Navigating The Evaluation Era: Mastering Feedback For Personal And Professional Growth.
Candace Camling signed with Ascension for the March 2025 release of Camling Interactive Rosary.
Carole Avriett with Thomas Curtis signed with Valor Press for the 2025 release of Captured, Tortured, Freed: Faith lessons from 7+ years as a Vietnam-Era POW.
Debora M Coty signed with Christian Art Gifts for the August 2025 release of Bless Your Heart: Daily Devotions to Warm Your Heart & Feed Your Soul.
Alisha Darlyne Miller signed with Baker Publishing for the July 2025 release of Courageous Divorce.
New Clients
Randy Grigsby, Sherrie Eldridge, Stephen Day, and Dan Hoffman recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations Gregory Royal Pratt for the Chicago Review on The City Is Up For Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis.
Continue reading "WordServe February News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/03/01/wordserve-february-news-2024/ [date] => Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:31:00 +0000 [comments] => ) [1706728496] => Array ( [img] =>January is national book month . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Jessica Hooten Wilson with Steve Prince and Brazos Press for January 23, 2024 release of Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress .
When celebrated American novelist and short story writer Flannery O’Connor died at the age of thirty-nine in 1964, she left behind an unfinished third novel titled Why Do the Heathen Rage? Scholarly experts uncovered and studied the material, deeming it unpublishable. It stayed that way for more than fifty years.
Until now.
For the past ten-plus years, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson has explored the 378 pages of typed and handwritten material of the novel–transcribing pages, organizing them into scenes, and compiling everything to provide a glimpse into what O’Connor might have planned to publish.
This book is the result of Hooten Wilson’s work. In it, she introduces O’Connor’s novel to the public for the first time and imagines themes and directions O’Connor’s work might have taken. Including illustrations and an afterword from noted artist Steve Prince (One Fish Studio), the book unveils scenes that are both funny and thought-provoking, ultimately revealing that we have much to learn from what O’Connor left behind.
Congratulations to Angela J. Herrington and Eerdmans Press for February 20, 2024 release of Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.
Have you experienced #ChurchHurt? Are you frustrated by judgmental church people supporting oppressive systems? Do you have doubts about the faith tradition you were raised in but are afraid of losing your community? Angela J. Herrington has been there. And with over a decade of experience as a life coach, she can teach you how to begin healing religious trauma through deconstruction.
Lively and empathetic, Angela will gently guide you through deconstructing your faith. This concise and actionable handbook will
• give you permission to trust yourself,
• show you how to seek new perspectives and information,
• teach you how to embrace vulnerable exploration and self-compassion, and
• help you release unhealthy beliefs that are harming you and marginalized persons.
Deconstructing your long-held beliefs can be isolating and overwhelming. But you don’t have to do it alone. Begin your healing journey with Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself.
Contracts
Todd Korpi signed with InterVarsity Press for the July 2025 release of Artificial Intelligence and the People of God.
Ruth Goring signed with Anamchara Books for the December 2025 release of Dearworthy.
New Clients
Henry Rausch, Kelly Edmiston, Yolanda Williams, Henry Sledge, and Serena Sigillito recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
[title] => WordServe January News 2024 [desc] => January is national book month . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases Congratulations to Jessica Hooten Wilson with Steve Prince and Brazos Press for January 23, 2024 release of Flannery …
Continue reading "WordServe January News 2024"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/01/31/wordserve-january-news-2024/ [date] => Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:14:56 +0000 [comments] => ) [1704085800] => Array ( [img] =>Grab a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and a good book. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Kris Tarantino with Cori Doerrfeld and Waterbrook Publishing for December 19th release of Be My Valenslime.
Snoodle is an unusual monster. She loves candy hearts, fun parties, fuzzy kittens, fancy hats, sparkly stickers, and . . . valentines! There’s just one problem: Monsters don’t do Valentine’s Day!
And when Snoodle tries to throw a Valentine’s Day party for her monster friends, nothing goes right. Every attempt to show them what love looks like turns into monster mayhem! With each disaster, Snoodle tries to be patient and kind, and to not be rude or get easily angered. But if the party isn’t perfect, how can Snoodle convince the other monsters to be her Valenslime?
Debut author Kris Tarantino and New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld bring to life a wonderful cast in this laugh-out-loud exploration of the true meaning of love.
New Clients
Henry Rausch recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations Patricia Raybon! Double the Lies earned Christianity Today’s Fiction 2024 Book Award. Christianity Today describes selections for this prestigious award as: “the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.” Read the entire award review at https://rushtopress.org/13522-2/.
A Final Word for 2023
Another year in publishing has come and gone and for WordServe, it was another solid year. We celebrated our 20th year as an agency and are hugely grateful to be able to continue the work we love.
We were able to place more than 60 new titles, about 20% of which were by new authors and 25% to general market houses. We secured 15 new collaboration projects, 4 movie options, and several audio/video deals.
We said goodbye to long-time agent Sarah Freese and said hello to our new agent, Emma Fulenwider, who’s working near her Sacramento home. Nick Harrison continues to contribute to WordServe with a few deals, some writing projects under his name, and attending many writer conferences a year, scouting new talent. And our indispensable Julie Gabrisch keeps the website updated, and everything else organized. It’s a great team and I’m honored to lead it.
Have a Happy New Year!
Greg Johnson
President
P.S. We moved out of our office so everyone is working remote. Our new mailing address is 700 Colorado Blvd., #318, Denver, CO 80206.
[title] => WordServe December News 2023 [desc] => Grab a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and a good book. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents. New Releases …Continue reading "WordServe December News 2023"
[link] => https://wordservewatercooler.com/2024/01/01/wordserve-december-news-2023/ [date] => Mon, 01 Jan 2024 05:10:00 +0000 [comments] => ) [1701409680] => Array ( [img] =>National Family Literacy Month is celebrated during the month of November. National Family Literacy Month is an opportunity for families to learn and read together. It also celebrates the work literacy programs do to empower families. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Sarah Varland and Love Inspired Suspense for the January 23, 2024 release of Alaskan Wilderness Rescue (K-9 Search and Rescue, 11),
A missing person rescue is now a K-9 manhunt for a killer…
A missing person case sends search and rescue worker Elsie Montgomery and her K-9 to a remote Alaskan island…only to discover she’s got a target on her back. Now she must partner with pilot Wyatt Chandler, the one man she doesn’t trust, to stay alive while confronting her shadowy past. But can they capture a killer before their time together runs out for good?
Contracts
Patricia Raybon signed with Tyndale for the September 2025 release of a new book yet to be titled.
Grace Hamman signed with Zondervan for the August 2025 release of Ask of Old Paths.
New Clients
Cameron Bellm recently signed with WordServe. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to us! It was November 1, 2003, that WordServe Literary was birthed by founder and president Greg Johnson.
“It’s been a huge honor and privilege to shepherd authors and books to greater levels of success these last 20 years. The industry has gone through monumental changes during these past two decades, and as it continues to evolve, myself and our agents: Keely, Nick and Emma will continue to do what is needed to get great reads and important books to market.”
Congratulations Walt Larimore for winning the The Page Turner Non- Fiction Book Award for At First Light.
Congratulations, Linda MacKillop! The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon won the 2023 Christy Award Finalist under the category of “First Novel“.
Congratulations Katie Powner! Where the Blue Sky Begins won the 2023 Christy Award under the category of “General Fiction“.