HarperCollins Christian Publishing to offer daily devotionals through Amazon Alexa-Enabled Devices

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- You can order a pizza, get a car-service pick up, hear the score of your favorite team's game, listen to your favorite music-- all with a little help from "Alexa."   Amazon's built in "intelligent assistant" is summoned by millions of American households who own the Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap,  Echo Dot, Fire TV, or Fire tablets, hands-free, voice controlled devices.  And now, users can ask for daily inspiration from their Devotionals skill.

Launching on December 12, the Devotionals skill will release a new audio clip each day for Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap, Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablet users through the Amazon Alexa app.  HarperCollins Christian Publishing, the owners and operators of the Devotionals skill, is the first book publisher to collaborate with Amazon at this capacity. 

"This is an unprecedented opportunity to gain new exposure and awareness around our authors' great content, in short form, with a simple voice command," says Sally Hofmann, senior v-p for direct-to-consumer sales and marketing for HarperCollins Christian Publishing.  "Bite-sized devotionals are a strong and engaging way to connect with our authors and uplift readers each day. Through our own Devotionals Daily brand we discovered, via social media, that this format really resonated with our readers.  We created a Devotionals Daily email newsletter and blog, currently with more than a half a million subscribers, to provide more in-depth devotional engagement.  These devotions are handpicked from our most popular books and now, Echo and Dot users can listen to Devotionals by including it in their daily flash briefing or through a custom-made skill." 

The new Devotionals skill brings listeners custom-curated audio content, pulled directly from the audiobooks published by either Thomas Nelson or Zondervan, the two publishing groups falling under the Christian division of HarperCollins Publishers. "Using our audiobooks to deliver these devotionals provides an extra level of authenticity and a high quality experience to Amazon Echo users," said Catherine Zappa, director of audio sales for HarperCollins Christian Publishing.  "Often times it's our authors' voices who are actually reading for the audiobook, so it really brings a deeper connection to the listener and the content.  And devotional listeners are able to say, 'Alexa add,' the book's title, 'to my cart' and the book will be waiting for them in their Amazon shopping cart.  All the user has to do is select the format."

Devotionals created from bestselling authors like Jefferson Bethke, Shauna Niequest, Judah Smith, Lee Strobel, Lysa TerKeurst, Ann Voskamp, Rick Warren and Sarah Young will be offered within the first 90 days of launch. 

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is the largest publisher of Christian faith-based devotionals and gift books in the world.  "Faith is vitally important in many people's lives. Spending a few minutes to listen to inspirational messages based on Scripture will bring peace, rest and encouragement to each day," said Laura Minchew, senior v-p for HarperCollins Christian Publishing's Specialty Publishing division.  "We believe that Amazon Alexa users will love the high quality and variety of devotions they will hear each day."

The Devotionals skill can be selected through the Amazon Alexa app, found in the Lifestyle category.  All devotional content will change daily.  Interested listeners are encouraged to sign up on DevotionalsDaily.com to receive the daily devotional e-mail newsletter, an entirely different devotional for more daily encouragement.

To begin using Devotionals through Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, select the Devotionals skill to be added in the Alexa app line-up or add Devotionals to the flash briefing. Product purchasing capabilities are available, by adding the book to the users Amazon shopping cart. 

To download the Devotionals skill go to https://www.amazon.com/HarperCollins-Christian-Publishing-Devotionals/dp/B01NA97VBO/.

To add Devotionals to your Flash Briefing go to: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSNNNGU

About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world's leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups in addition to Olive Tree Bible Software.  The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space.  Also home to BibleGateway.com, the world's largest Christian website, and FaithGateway.com, an online community dedicated to helping people grow in their faith. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com. HarperCollins Publishers is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.

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SOURCE HarperCollins Christian Publishing