Most of us here in the book department at GUIDEPOSTS spent the past week in Denver at the International Christian Retail Show, which is a big convention for Christian books and merchandise.
It’s always fun to wander the floor and see what new gadgets will be in Christian bookstores, and to see what great books will be on the shelves this fall.
We were there meeting with agents and authors and talking to people in the industry. We were also giving away early editions of some of our books, like the beautiful memoir Halfway to Each Other, which we’ll be releasing in September.
This is the story of a couple on the brink of divorce who, as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, move their family to Italy for a year. The book is the story of how getting rid of the distractions we fill our lives with—television, video games, malls—allowed them to find joy in each other once again, and ended up bringing their family closer than ever.
We also gave away early copies of Julie Hadden’s Fat Chance. You may remember Julie from the television show The Biggest Loser. She lost half her body weight (and—astonishingly—has kept it off) and gained a whole new perspective on caring for the body that God gave her. It’s a practical and inspiring story, and we got a great response to the book.
Conventions are fun, but they’re also a very good reminder of why we do what we do. In a tough economic market, Christian books are one of the few areas that’s growing, and it’s exciting to be a part of something that has eternal rewards.
Beth Adams is the creator and editor of GUIDEPOSTS’ Home to Heather Creek fiction series.
