Brilliance Audio, Inc., has signed an agreement for the exclusive global distribution rights of the hard goods products of Nashville-based Thomas Nelson and Zondervan — the two publishing groups that form HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

The three-year partnership, financial terms of which are not being disclosed, includes all front list and select back-list titles for non-fiction trade and fiction audio products in CD and MP3 CD format.

Related to the agreement, past favorites from Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Colleen Coble and Lysa TerKeurst, among others, will be included in the available backlist CD products.

Brilliance Audio is based in Grand Haven, Mich. Of note, Zondervan is based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The announcement follows HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s April announcement that it finalized a licensing agreement with Spanish publishing house Editorial CLIE.

“With certain backlist titles being available in hard goods for the first time, this new partnership will increase our audio presence in the world’s retail and libraries markets,” Cat Zappa, director of licensing for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said in a release.

Sam Hatcher, who launched and built Main Street Media into a holding company for suburban news and lifestyle publications, is stepping down as publisher as The Wilson Post following Main Street's sale to former Tennessean executive Dave Gould. Hatcher said he will "continue hanging around and kind of helping" with the company.

Ingram Content Group has teamed up with a large Indian publishing house on a joint venture that will bring its VitalSource e-textbook platform to the world's second-most populous country. Ingram-B.i. is looking to take advantage of a higher education sector that is expected to nearly triple to 40 million students by 2020.

“India, by far, is the most exciting growth market for English language textbooks in the world today," said Shashank Bhagat, Chairman of the Bi Group. "The market in India is ripe for media-rich interactive learning experiences. With Ingram's VitalSource Bookshelf platform, and the local market reach of the Bi Group, students at India’s top universities, colleges, and corporate training programs will have access to the newest and most relevant digital content and learning tools that are available today."

A week after launching a Spanish-language version of its GLO interactive Bible tool, execs at Thomas Nelson were able to say Monday that their first shipment for Windows users has sold out. A version for the Apple ecosystem will be issued in a few months.

"Zondervan took a smart, strategic risk when they originally launched the English version of 'GLO' in 2010," said Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is comprised of both the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups. "The company discovered a consumer need. Grupo Nelson realized that the Spanish Bible market also had shown a digital shift and partnering with Immersion Digital ensured that we would be the first to meet the consumer demand."

Representatives for NFL quarterback Michael Vick and Brentwood-based Worthy Publishing have canceled a series of appearances to promote Vick's book, Finally Free, after they and some book retailers received credible threats of violence from animal-rights activists. Vick and Worthy execs were due to visit stores in Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but a recent upturn in the nature of the threats have prompted them to back off. In a statement, Worthy said, "Despite warnings of planned protests, Vick had hoped to continue with the appearances as planned, bringing his story of redemption and second chance to major markets. However, once the reported protests escalated into threats of violence against the retailers, Worthy Publishing, Vick and his family, decided to cancel the events."

Ingram Content Group announced Tuesday it will add more than 12,000 Harlequin titles to the platform. 

The titles will be both frontlist and backlist, nonfiction and fiction, and will be from multiple Harlequin imprints. The company will continue to use Ingram's Lightning Source print-on-demand solution.

"As e-book use continues to climb, we're seeing an increase in the adoption and offering of digital content through our MyiLibrary platform," Dan Sheehan (pictured), Ingram Content Group library services vice president and general manager, said in a release. "Using the platform, Harlequin will expand the reach of its content to the many libraries that are developing digital programs to meet the needs of their patrons.”

Harlequin is a publisher of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 34 languages and sold in 114 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including offices in London, New York, Toronto and Sydney.