Ex-president Jimmy Carter to pen 2 religious books

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter is authoring a pair of books for a Christian publisher.

Under the deal announced on Friday, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Zondervan, will release two books authored by Carter and a third inspired by him.

"Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President" will be released in January 2012. Carter will share life lessons culled from more than three decades of teaching Sunday school classes in Plains, Ga., and in Washington. The devotional format is designed to encourage readers to meditate on a new passage each day over the course of one year.

"New International Version Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter" is set hit stores in March 2012. The Bible will be filled throughout with Carter's personal experiences, reflections and insights.

A third book is a biography of Carter, written for children. "Gift of Peace: The Jimmy Carter Story" was recently released and is available in bookstores and through online retailers.

"I'm excited to introduce these new titles, and my prayer is that God will use them to touch the hearts and minds of readers," Carter said in a statement.

Zondervan president and CEO Scott Macdonald said, "Carter is known for being a man of strong faith and he has collected a great deal of wisdom and insight to share based on his experiences, his personal journey and his walk with Christ."

A prolific author, Carter has previously written 25 books.