NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Nelson announced today a milestone in gift book publishing: the bestselling JCountryman^® line has sold over 20 million books.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131210/CL30491)

"Our success has come because we continue to create beautiful gift books with great content that meet a felt need while being affordable," said Jack Countryman, founder of JCountryman Gift Books. "Our books touch and change the life of the reader, giving the reassurance that God has an answer for everything."

Thirty years ago Countryman wrote God's Promises at his kitchen table with the help of his wife, Marsha. Originally distributed from the trunk of their car, the demand for God's Promises and his follow-up book, God's Wisdom, quickly grew. Jack met with ministers and distributors across the country, creating new books in the God's Promises and God's Wisdom lines along the way. In 1986, Jack trademarked the JCountryman brand, solidifying its place in the market and essentially creating the Christian gift books business.

In December 1994, Countryman joined the Thomas Nelson family, turning a $2.5 million company into a $22 million company in just four years. By 2001, JCountryman was the largest personal gift book publisher in the world, with 26,000 outlets in distribution.

This year not only marks twenty million books sold but also the 30^th anniversary of the God's Promises brand.  

"Jack is one of the most inspiring members of our publishing family," said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.  "The JCountryman book line is his legacy, and it's an honor to have Jack and Marsha with us every day. They have impacted over twenty million people through their books, and played an integral role in helping us accomplish our mission as a company."

In 2013 alone, Jack has had 16 books on three different bestseller lists, including CBA, Parable and ECPA. Seven of his titles have sold over 500K units. Thomas Nelson is set to release fourteen titles in the JCountryman line next year.

Jack Countryman and his beloved wife and co-worker, Marsha, have been married for 48 years. They are active in First Baptist Church in Franklin, TN, where Jack is an elder.  The couple is lay leaders in the Marriage Ministry. Jack and Marsha live in Brentwood, TN, and have two grown sons and two grandchildren.

Thomas Nelson is a world-leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson, is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

SOURCE Thomas Nelson