21 Books Published by Thomas Nelson on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

“… a beautifully written story about family, self-discovery, secrets, and forgiveness.” —Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author

Home is not a place—it’s a feeling.

Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame—the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share.

What Casey doesn’t expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she’s never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide.

Through the pages of her great-grandmother’s journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story—if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.

After posting selfies in her Sunday best for fifty-two consecutive weeks during the pandemic, octogenarian Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly became a viral sensation during Easter 2021, appearing everywhere from the Washington Post to CNN to Fox News.

“People from all over the world have said my Sunday selfies and words of encouragement have blessed and inspired them. Who would have thought photos of an eighty-two-year-old church lady in a hat and Bible verses could do such a thing?”

On March 29, 2020, when her church switched to online services because of coronavirus, Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly couldn’t imagine watching the service in her robe. So, she did what she’s always done; she put on a beautiful outfit, matching hat, and accessories and got ready for church. Dr. Wimberly, a self-declared social media junkie, thought “it would be fun to snap a selfie and post it on Facebook with a scripture verse and an inspirational message. I’d let folks know I was ready for worship and encourage them to do the same. This was my way to brighten their spirits—and mine—and stay connected during a time of sudden isolation and despair for many people.”

Underneath her "crown" and church finery is a wise, warm, and witty octogenarian who’s still committed to the same values she learned in childhood:

• faith in God and country,
• devotion to family,
• keeping a positive attitude,
• a life of service,
• thinking before you act,
• living life to the fullest, and
• the golden rule.

As a career educator who faithfully and lovingly served students, their families, and her community for decades, encouraging and uplifting others is part of Dr. Wimberly’s DNA. In My Sunday Best, you’ll be cheered by the stories and lessons from a life well-lived and find yourself asking, How can I inspire someone today and encourage myself too?

Are you plagued by regrets and past fears? Are you searching for a breakthrough or trying to find your true purpose? New York Times bestselling author Sarah Jakes Roberts reveals through life lessons and new insights from the story of Eve, how past disappointments, struggles, and even mistakes can be used today to help you become the woman God intended.

Who would imagine being friends with Eve—the woman who’s been held responsible for the fall of humanity (and cramps) for thousands of years? Certainly not Sarah Jakes Roberts. That is, not until Sarah discovered she is more like Eve than she cares to admit.

Making her mistake in Eden, Eve became the first woman to deal with rebuilding her life in the aftermath of her past. Eve knew better, but she didn’t do better. With a blend of scriptural lessons, Eve as the framework, and Sarah as your guide, you will discover and work through:

• Past issues and insecurities that haunt you
• Seeing yourself as God sees you and trusting Him with who you really are
• How to come out of darkness and pursue a real relationship with God
• Why it’s important to truly care for yourself
• Setting in motion the beautiful seed that God planted in you

Everyone faces trials, and everyone will mess up. But failure shouldn’t be the focus. Your focus should be not on who you were but rather on the pursuit of who you can become. In No Woman Left Behind Guided Journal, Sarah takes you deeper to help you understand that your purpose in life does not change; it evolves. This companion guided journal includes:

• Thought-provoking quotes from Sarah to inspire you to go deeper
• Guided prompts and exercises as you take steps toward discovering your evolving purpose
• Space to write your thoughts and reflections
• A beautiful foil-embellished cover and high-design interior with photography

Whether a gift for a woman you love or a self-purchase as you more deeply explore God’s purpose for you, this guided journal will inspire, motivate, and offer practical steps to revolutionize your life. Your fears and insecurities may have altered your view of God, others, and yourself, but as you work through No Woman Left Behind Guided Journal, you can break through and use past mistakes to revolutionize your life. Like Eve, you don’t have to live your future defined by your past.

From actor, producer, and comedian Kel Mitchell of Nickelodeon’s All That and the film Good Burger, this laugh-aloud novel for kids follows Chase as he masterminds a series of epic pranks only to discover that they’ve all become real on April 2nd. When his tricks become reality in hilarious and disastrous ways, Chase must come clean. How will he set the world right again, catch the eye of his crush Zoe, and keep her from getting flattened by the refrigerator running all over town?

This comedy-fantasy adventure

• is full of wackiness, mayhem, and laugh-out loud moments
• teaches the value of taking responsibility for your actions and telling the truth
• blends realistic fiction with fantasy
• features comic-style illustrations in every chapter
• celebrates the value of friendship, family, and good teachers in your life
• features a diverse cast of characters

Intended for kids and tweens 8 to 12 years old, this book is perfect for

• independent young readers, boys and girls
• fans of illustrated chapter book series like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Terrible Two, Middle School, and Locker 37
• fans of the popular Nickelodeon show All That

This novel will keep middle graders entertained with its fast pace, fantastical chaos, and hilarious tricks. If you’ve ever dreamed of pranking the world with toilet clowns and spider drones, this book is for you.

The true story of Black activist Opal Lee and her vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday that represents the nation’s creed of freedom for all.

Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic—a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak’s stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865—over two years after the president had declared it But Opal didn’t always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn’t freedom at all. She had to do something Opal Lee spent the rest of her life speaking up for equality and unity. She became a teacher, a charity worker, and a community leader. At the age of 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., in an effort to gain national recognition for Juneteenth.

Through the story of Opal Lee’s determination and persistence, children ages 4 to 8 will learn:

• all people are created equal
• the power of bravery and using your voice for change
• the history of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, and what it means today
• no one is free unless everyone is free
• fighting for a dream is worth every difficulty

Featuring the illustrations of New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo (I am Enough), Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free celebrates the life and legacy of a modern-day Black leader while sharing a message of hope, unity, joy, and strength.

No matter what you’re going through, one thing is certain: God is ready to bless you. Join Kel Mitchell—pastor, actor, and famed comedian of Kenan & Kel—on a 90-day challenge to receive God’s blessings and become a blessing to others.

Kel knows what it’s like to struggle through depression and addiction, but he also knows the power of God’s presence to help you find freedom and the blessings in your life. As a youth pastor, Kel is passionate about sharing his testimony of hope with the next generation, and he wants to share it with you too.

In Blessed Mode, Kel offers 90 powerful, practical devotions to help you:

• find freedom in God’s life-changing presence.
• experience God’s power through prayer.
• recognize God’s many gifts in your life.
• share the blessings you’ve received with others.

Get ready to level up your faith and celebrate the blessings God is giving you today.

In a culture that tells men to suppress instead of express, join author, speaker, and leader Jason Wilson as he calls us to unlearn society’s definition of masculinity and discover the power of engaging with our emotions.

For decades, Jason was losing the war within—the internal battle that many men wage on a daily basis. He struggled to combat his toxic thoughts and emotions, communicating without composure, and ultimately hurting himself and his loved ones.

When Jason began to release years of unresolved trauma, he learned how to acknowledge his emotions and express them in a healthy way. He discovered that he was strengthened by transparency and vulnerability, which taught him to forgive, trust, and love without limitations.

Soon, Jason’s newfound practices began to heal his relationships and transform his life. Throughout his journey of opening up, Jason became a better husband, father, and leader—and you can, too.

Supported by Biblical teachings, the lessons that Jason shares in Battle Cry teach us that we can all be empowered to break through what we’ve been through. Jason calls us to become better versions of ourselves, equipping us with the mental and spiritual weapons needed to redefine modern masculinity and showing us how to:

• embrace our emotions rather than be ruled by them
• win internal battles before they become external wars
• break free from misconstrued masculinity and embrace our humanity
• communicate more effectively with the people in our lives
• heal trauma from our past in order to live our fullest lives in the present

Battle Cry proves that it’s possible to live beyond the limitations of your mind and finally experience the full life you’ve always longed for. What are you waiting for? It’s time to win the war within.

Acclaimed musical artist Michelle Williams shares the intimate, never-before-told story of how, even in the midst of enormous fame and success, she battled depression, leading her to find her true calling as an advocate for mental health—especially her own.

As a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the top female R&B groups of all time, Michelle Williams felt blessed. After the group disbanded, she continued to create bestselling albums, appear on television shows, and star in theater productions. Though she had always struggled with low moods, in 2018 her depression deepened, and when she found herself planning her own funeral, she checked herself into a treatment facility. There she found the help she needed to live out the incredible story God was writing for her life.

In her first book, Michelle courageously shares the hidden secrets that nearly ended her life; the importance of her faith, family, and friends; and the lessons she learned about prioritizing her mental health. She is on a quest to increase mental health awareness and urges others to understand the importance of "checking in" with themselves, God, and others. Her candid, often humorous, and incredibly brave book will inspire readers who desire hope for their own difficult times.

Opal is an eighteen-year-old Black woman working as a housekeeper in a small Southern town in the 1930s—and then the Klan descends. A moving story that confronts America’s tragic past, When Stars Rain Down is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching.

The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt senses a nameless storm brewing. She hopes this foreboding feeling won’t overshadow her upcoming 18th birthday or the annual Founder’s Day celebration in just a few weeks. She and her Grandma Birdie work as housekeepers for the white widow Miss Peggy, and Opal desperately wants some time to be young and carefree with her cousins and friends.

But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal’s neighborhood, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way possible. Parsons’s residents—both Black and white—are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests—the son of her pastor, Cedric Perkins, and the white grandson of the woman she works for, Jimmy Earl Ketchums.

Faced with love, loss, and a harsh awakening to an ugly world, Opal holds tight to her family and faith—and the hope for change.

"When Stars Rain Down is so powerful, timely, and compelling … an important and beautifully written must-read of a novel." —Silas House, author of Southernmost

• 2021 Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction - Finalist
• Stand-alone novel
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

New York Times Bestseller

Sarah Jakes Roberts, with life-lessons she’s learned and new insights from the story of Eve, shows you how the disappointments and even mistakes of your past can be used today to help you become the woman God intended.

Who would imagine being friends with Eve—the woman who’s been held solely responsible for the fall of humanity (and cramps) for thousands of years? Certainly not Sarah Jakes Roberts. That is, not until Sarah discovered she is more like Eve than she cares to admit.

Everyone faces trials, and everyone will mess up. But failure should not be the focus. Your focus should not be on who you were but rather the pursuit of who you can become. In Woman Evolve, Sarah helps you to understand that your purpose in life does not change; it evolves.

Making her mistake in the Garden of Eden, Eve became the first woman to deal with rebuilding her life in the aftermath of her past. Eve knew better, but she didn’t do better. With scriptural lessons and Sarah as your guide, you discover and work through

• past issues and questions that haunt you,
• seeing yourself as God sees you and trusting Him with who you really are,
• how to come out of darkness and pursue a real relationship with God,
• why it’s important to truly care for yourself,
• setting in motion the beautiful seed that God planted in you, and
• running to become who you were meant to be

Your fears and insecurities may have changed how you viewed God, others, and yourself, but in Woman Evolve, you can breakthrough and use past mistakes to revolutionize your life. Like Eve, you don’t have to live your future defined by your past.

Break Your Guilt Habit! In Let Go of the Guilt, life coach and bestselling author Valorie Burton teaches you a simple, but profound method that will free you from what she calls the "false guilt" that is so common today.

As you peel back the layers, you’ll feel the burden lift. And that’s when you make room for your authentic self and the joyful life that is possible for you. Through her signature self-coaching process, powerful questions, and practical research, she shows you how to:

• recognize and overcome the five thought patterns of guilt,
• break the surprising habit that tempts you to subconsciously choose guilt over joy,
• stop guilt from sneaking its way into your everyday decisions and interactions,
• flip those guilt trips so you can keep others from manipulating you, and
• stop setting yourself up for stress, anxiety and obligation, and instead set yourself for a life of joy and freedom

Valorie’s journaling questions and research-based process will shift your perspective, give you clarity and courage, and equip you with a plan of action to let go of the guilt for good.

A USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal bestseller Learn how to live a life of character and integrity—by following the simple advice of a third grade dropout. Be inspired by the book behind Dr. Rick Rigsby’s viral graduation speech.

After his wife died, Rick Rigsby was ready to give up. The bare minimum was good enough. Rigsby was content to go through the motions, living out his life as a shell of himself. But then he remembered the lessons his father taught him years before— incredibly simple, yet incredibly profound.

These lessons weren’t about advanced mathematics or the secrets of the stock market. They were quite straightforward, in fact, as Rigsby’s father never made it through third grade. But if this man’s instructions were powerful enough to inspire one of his children to earn a Ph.D. and another to become a judge—imagine what they can do for you.

While Rick Rigsby’s father was a third-grade dropout, he was a man who never hid behind any excuse. A man who never allowed his problems or lack of a formal education to determine his present or affect his future. A man who realized that destiny was a choice and not a chance.

In Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout, Rigsby shares the simple lessons from his father that will transform your mindset, including:

Remain true to yourself
Think the best at all times
Give your best regardless of the circumstances
Keep standing no matter what

Join Rigsby as he dusts off time-tested beliefs and shares his father’s impactful, far-reaching story—of how a life can be enhanced, of how a corporate culture can be changed, of how a family can be united—by living the simple lessons of a third-grade dropout.

David and Tamela Mann share a wonderfully inspiring, funny, and up-close look at their lives and the lessons they’ve learned during their 30-year marriage.

Popular speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Woman Evolve, Sarah Jakes Roberts shows women they are not disqualified by their pain and failures and offers encouragement and strength to believe God’s best is still possible.

Everyone has experiences in their lives that stop them in their tracks and become burdens they carry with them everywhere they go. No one knows this better than Sarah Jakes Roberts.

Pregnant at fourteen, married by nineteen, divorced by twenty-two, and all while under the intense spotlight of being Bishop T.D. Jakes’s daughter, Sarah knows what it is to feel buried by failure and aching pain.

But when her journey brought her to faith’s fork in the road, Sarah found she had to choose between staying in the comfort of the pain she knew or daring to make new wounds and move forward.

Now Sarah shares the numerous life lessons she’s learned along the way with other women also struggling to believe they’re not disqualified by their pain and past mistakes. She delves into topics such as allowing the past to empower the present, choosing to step forward while still being afraid, facing struggles in the midst of community, finding intimacy with God outside of preconceived notions of what it should look like, and learning to focus on others.

In Don’t Settle for Safe, Sarah will help you:

• View your history with positivity
• Demolish destructive patterns
• Connect with true intimacy
• Repurpose your passion into to your purpose
• Realize your true calling

With deeply personal stories of her own, Sarah helps readers find their way to the right perspective and the confidence to walk toward the best God has for them.

Is an argument-free marriage possible? Fawn Weaver’s answer is yes, absolutely, even when one or both partners are strong willed, independent, and opinionated. (She admits to being all three.) In this groundbreaking book, the best-selling author and award-winning marriage blogger asks readers to invest twenty-eight days in learning how to live together without bickering, blame, angry outbursts, or silent treatments.

Fawn begins with the startling premise that, contrary to popular opinion, conflict in marriage is not necessary or inevitable. Then she leads readers on a day-by-day journey toward a more peaceful and supportive relationship. Chapter by brief chapter, she offers fresh perspectives and practical strategies for communicating effectively, building understanding, and defusing anger while at the same time nurturing honesty, vulnerability, and mutual support.

"Mom, I have something I need to tell you…"They didn’t talk.  Not for ten years.  Not about faith anyway.  Instead, a mother and daughter tiptoed with pain around the deepest gulf in their lives - the daughter’s choice to leave the church, convert to Islam and become a practicing Muslim.  Undivided is a real-time story of healing and understanding with alternating narratives from each as they struggle to learn how to love each other in a whole new way.

Written with rare honesty and striking transparency, Undivided opens a door on the lives of an American Islamic convert, Alana Raybon, a dedicated educator, and her devout Christian mother, Patricia Raybon, an award-winning author, as they struggle to reconcile and heal their family divided by faith.

An important work for parents whose adult children have left the family’s belief system, it will help those same children as they wrestle to better understand their parents.

For anyone troubled by the broader tensions between Islam and the West, this personal story distills this friction into the context of a family relationship—a journey all the more fascinating.  While a conversation is desperately needed in America between Christians and Muslims, Undivided offers a real-time conversation to follow.

Undivided is a tremendously important book for our time.  Will Patricia be able to fully trust in the Christ who "holds all things together?"

Will Alana’s love for God cause her to become an outcast to her family—or provide a path that leads her back home?  And can they answer the question that both want desperately to experience: "Can we make our torn family whole again?"

A New York Times Bestseller!

One woman undertakes a worldwide search to learn the secrets of a great marriage—and finds one foundational truth that could change everything.

Fawn Weaver was a happily married woman running a successful business—and then something happened. Maybe it was divorce rate reports on the evening news, The Real Housewives of Orange County, or any daytime talk show where husbands and wives dramatically reveal their betrayals. Everywhere she looked, Fawn saw negative portrayals of marriage dominating the airwaves and dooming everyone to failure.

Looking at Keith, the love of her life, she knew that wasn’t true. She was determined to find and connect with women just like her—happy and optimistic about marriage, deeply in love with her spouse, and committed to building a strong marriage that stands the test of time.

On a whim, she started the blog HappyWivesClub.com and sent the link to a few of new friends. What started as a casual invitation to five women exploded into an international online club with 150,000 members in more than 100 countries.

Happy Wives Club is Fawn’s journey across the world to meet her friends and discover what makes their marriages great. Join her on this exciting, exotic trip across six continents and through more than eighteen cities. Walk the streets of Mauritius, the historic ruins in Italy, and the vistas of New Zealand and Australia. Go from Cape Town to London, Manila to Buenos Aires, Winnipeg to Zagreb.

Along the way, you will meet everyday women whose marriage secrets span cultures. You will hear their stories, witness their love, and be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages do exist—and yours can be one of them!

It turns out great marriages are all around us—when we look for them. Go on a trip with Fawn and learn the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.

Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint have a powerful message for families and communities as they lay out their visions for strengthening America, or for that matter the world. They address the crises of people who are stuck because of feelings of low self-esteem, abandonment, anger, fearfulness, sadness, and feelings of being used, undefended and unprotected. These feelings often impede their ability to move forward. The authors aim to help empower people make the daunting transition from victims to victors. Come On, People! is always engaging, and loaded with heart-piercing stories of the problems facing many communities.

Dr. Savage, sage prophet of the airwaves, has been diagnosing liberal mental illness for more than a decade. Now, in his third and most insightful book, he strikes at the root of today’s most desperate issues, providing a hefty dose of his unique conservative medicine, including: Homeland security: "We need more Patton and less patent leather…Real homeland security begins when we arrest, interrogate, jail, or deport known operatives within our own borders…One dirty bomb can ruin your whole day." The ACLU, National Lawyers Guild, and MoveOn.org: "I believe it’s time for the heads of … left-wing agitation groups who are using the courts to impose their will on the sheeple to be prosecuted under the federal RICO statutes." Illegal immigration: "I envision an Oil for Illegals program…The president should demand one barrel of oil from Mexico for every illegal alien that sneaks into our country." The Doctor is in and the diagnosis is clear. Read Liberalism is a Mental Disorder and find out what you can do to treat it.

One of the most common crises among Christians today is the failure to develop and nourish godly relationships. Sadly, there is little or no distinction between Christians and non-Christians in this area. Most homes today resemble the drive-through window at a fast food joint with family members coming and going but with no real communication taking place. Beyond the home, the corporate church body is fragmented by members unable to agree on what are often minor issues.For those tired of conforming to the world’s model for relationships, Bishop Eddie L. Long presents the biblical model. What a Man Wants, What a Woman Needs will enable you to: Identify the missing element in relationships that will foster better communication. Understand the key principles necessary for godly living and godly communication. Learn to identify and resist attacks from the Enemy. Understand the power of a wise woman and the roles of godly men.

Straight talk to divorced men who love their children, but no longer live with them.