Contact: Katie Broaddus, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 256-513-5747

NASHVILLE, Feb. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a ground-breaking partnership between the publishing and automotive industries, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York Times best-selling author Ted Dekker, and brandWAVES will join forces with Chevrolet to present The Search for the Lost Books of History, a nation-wide alternative reality "treasure hunt" based on Dekker's new collection of young adult fiction, The Lost Book Series (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008.) Throughout the sweepstakes, participants may qualify to win a myriad of top-dollar prizes, including the Grand Prize of a 2008 Chevy Cobalt.

In this cutting-edge, ten-week contest, participants age fourteen and over will race to locate real-life versions of The Lost Books depicted in Dekker's novels. Utilizing on and off-line components, contestants will be led to clues hidden on websites and in retail stores across the country, each one leading them one step closer to the discovery of The Lost Book. Participants may pre-register for the contest as well as find complete contest details at www.booksofhistory.com. The official launch is scheduled for March 6, 2008 at 12:00 pm CST.

"It is exciting for me to partner with Chevrolet, a company that grasps what drives cutting edge entertainment today," said Dekker. "The story, the contest and a Chevy Cobalt giveaway! Readers and gamers alike will love it."

The core focus of The Search for the Lost Book of History contest is to reinforce the importance and fun of reading to young adult students, an ideal close to the heart of Chevrolet. Therefore, during the course of the competition Chevy will provide 10,000 free special edition copies of Chosen, the electrifying first installment of Dekker's Lost Book series, to middle and high school students throughout the Southeast.

"Literacy and education are two initiatives that Chevrolet and its dealers champion through their support of several initiatives in the Southeast region," said Tim Hudgens, Chevrolet marketing manager for GM's Southeast region. "Partnering with Ted Dekker has been a way for us to empower public school administrators with practical, enticing resources to encourage students to read."

With a target audience of readers ages 14-21, the contest will conclude May 15, 2008 when the Grand Prize winner as well as first and second runners-up will be declared. Presentation of the 2008 Chevy Cobalt will take place at the music festival, Icthus 2008 in Wilmore, KY. The first runner up will be presented with a Sony Home Theatre System, including a flat panel LCD television, while the second runner-up will receive an Apple Macbook and touch iPod. In addition, weekly prizes will be awarded, which all registered players are eligible to win.

The sweepstakes sponsorship with Chevrolet has been created and conducted by brandWAVES, LLC in conjunction with Ted Dekker Thomas Nelson, Creative Trust, BuzzPlant, and Ground Force Network. Leading internet marketing and consulting company, BuzzPlant, has developed elements of the contest and marketing strategy, and has executed the technical development required to make this the first Alternate Reality Game in the history of the Christian retail market

"Just as Thomas Nelson Fiction is committed to publishing outstanding stories from some of the finest and most creative authors of our time, so too are we excited to take on innovative partnerships like this involving our books. We're thrilled to be working with Chevrolet," said Allen Arnold, Sr. VP & Publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction.

Books one and two of The Lost Books Series, Chosen (ISBN: 9781595543592) and Infidel (ISBN: 9781595543639), are now available. Books three and four, Renegade (ISBN: 9781595543714) and Chaos (ISBN: 9781595543721), will ship March 20, 2008. For more information, visit www.thomasnelson.com.  

Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Dekker lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.

Chevrolet is one of America's best-known and best-selling automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above. Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks priced from $9,995 to $83,175. The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid – the first General Motors vehicle to use the company's all-new two-mode hybrid system – has been named Green Car Journal's 2008 Green Car of the Year®. In addition, Chevy has more vehicles than any other manufacturer that provide more than 30 mpg.

Thomas Nelson is a leading provider of Bibles, products, and live events emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes. For more information, visit our website http://www.thomasnelson.com

brandWAVES, LLC is an innovative resource for brand marketing, sponsorship and management consulting. Guided by J. David Huffman, a veteran of the entertainment and literary worlds, brandWAVES manages events from ideation to activation and is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. http://www.brandWAVESLLC.com

BuzzPlant is an internet and new media marketing and consulting company that focuses on the faith and family market. Their clients include Thomas Nelson, Twentieth Century Fox, Time Life, INO Records, Universal Records, and many more. http://www.buzzplant.com

Ground Force Network (GFN) provides effective and affordable viral, peer-to-peer marketing solutions for reaching the faith-based and family markets. GFN uses its experienced team, cutting edge technologies and its large database of reps, or 'Field Agents', to create and execute successful word-of-mouth campaigns. Ground Force's non-traditional, 'grassroots' methodologies can stand-alone or supplement marketing programs to connect with consumers in ways that traditional media buys cannot. Visit http://www.groundforcenetwork.com for more information.