Sure, there are lots of great books on writing out there. But for those who don't have time to read them all (and who does, really?) we've put together some information about a handful of our very favorite books on writing craft and process here at The Editorial Department and what's most useful, informative, or inspiring about them.

Renni Browne

Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein. More than any other writer I know, Sol Stein teaches the invaluable art of writing to satisfy the reader. He does it with wit and panache, so that the lessons go down easily and won't be forgotten.

R.J. Cavender 

On Writing, by Stephen King. I know what you’re thinking—"Of course the horror editor would chose that book." But, truly it’s a fantastic collection of thoughts and reflections upon a career and life-long love affair with the written word. The lessons in the book are often cautionary and come from a place of learned experience, and it pulls no punches. It’s not a book that will teach you how to write, it’s a book that will make you want to write. 

We're always on the lookout for agents and agencies whose specialties might be of interest to our clients, and this month we're focusing on agents who handle books for the Christian marketplace.

1. Bruce Barbour of Literary Management Group
literarymanagementgroup.com
Specializes in the area of Christian publishing from an Evangelical perspective.

2. D.C. Jacobson & Associates
dcjacobson.com
An innovative author management company that provides comprehensive literary representation for Christian authors.

3. Hartline Literary Agency
hartlineliterary.com
Representing authors who write primarily from a Christian worldview.

With the New York Times debut bestseller Still Missing, Chevy Stevens delivered the "not-to-be-missed thriller of the year." Now she returns with Never Knowing, a breathtaking and complex novel about one woman's search to find her birth mother--only to discover the terror and horror in which she was conceived--and that her birth father is still on the loose.

First, the final countdown is on for the release of Chevy Stevens' debut thriller STILL MISSING, which has already gotten starred reviews from all four advance reviewers--Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, and Booklist--as well as recommendations from Oprah magazine, People magazine, Good Morning America, and Chateleine, one of the most popular magazines in Canada. (To read these and many more raves, go to www.chevystevens.com.) The book's scheduled publication date is July 6th from St. Martins, and all we'll say here is that it's a riveting, haunting story and one of the most memorable debut novels we've ever had the pleasure of working on. We'd like to invite everybody to stop by Chevy's website or better yet pick up a copy. STILL MISSING is a welcome reminder of how good a first novel can be and the good things that can happen when a really talented author works with The Editorial Department. We were thrilled to support Chevy's determination to make STILL MISSING the absolute best book possible and then to match her with literary agent Mel Berger at William Morris/Endeavor. We expect to be posting lots more good news about this title, which St. Martin's is really excited about. 

The latest in Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series is now available. Following AN INNOCENT CLIENT and IN GOOD FAITH, this one is called INJUSTICE FOR ALL and it's another great read from our favorite new voice in the legal thriller/courtroom drama arena. Scott received rave reviews for AN INNOCENT CLIENT, and we wish him continued success with this latest release from NAL. Scott is presently deep into a new thriller involving a windfall that turns out to put a young lawyer--female this time--in terrible danger from without and within.