NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 12, 2014) - The Kickstarter campaign for Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter and author Carolyn Arends to produce her 11th album, a Christmas CD titled Christmas: Story of Stories, ends tomorrow. The Canadian recording artist has partnered with her fans through the innovative crowd-funding program to raise more than $25,000 so far. Contributors met the initial $11,000 goal in one day when the Kickstarter campaign launched in May. With only a few hours left until the deadline at 2 p.m. C.T. Friday, additional funds will help Arends reach her stretch goals.

"We are beyond grateful for the response we've received, and excited to see what happens here at the home stretch," Arends says. "When we launched this campaign, we had no idea what the response would be like--it's been five years since my last project, after all! So, we did the math and figured out the lowest amount of money, in addition to our own resources, at which we could promise to actually produce a record, and made that our funding goal. Our backers came through amazingly, and freed us up to see if we could raise additional funds to make an even better record. We'd also love to raise some money to be able to promote the record and possibly hire a radio promoter to get this music on the airwaves, as well as other related costs."

Through the Kickstarter campaign, Arends says she has had the opportunity to reconnect with her fans.

"This Kickstarter campaign has far exceeded my expectations, both financially and emotionally," she says. "I've heard from friends and fans all over the world, many of whom have been kind enough to tell me about the ways my music has intersected with their lives. It's been so fun! It's reminded me how powerful the gift of music is, and how strong the connection can be between people who love both music and the God who thought it up!"

Christmas: Story of Stories is set for an October 15 release.

"Although this will be my 11th album, I'm at least as excited as I was recording my first, for several reasons," Arends says. "First, I love Christmas. One of the songs is called 'Everything Changes at Christmas' and that's the truth of it--people get warmer, friendlier and more open to the heartbeat of the gospel that time of year. Second, this will be my first full-length recording in five years. I've enjoyed my 'studio sabbatical,' which has been spent touring, teaching college courses, writing, and being a Regent College student. But now that I've completed my master's degree, I have the freedom to return to recording. I'm realizing how much I've missed it!"

Fans can pledge to the Christmas: Story of Stories Kickstarter campaign through the 2 p.m. C.T. Friday deadline. To pledge, visit the project's Kickstarter page at KickstartCarolyn.com or visit Arends' website at carolynarends.com and click on the Kickstarter link on the homepage.

About Kickstarter:
Hundreds of individuals have raised capital through the Kickstarter business model, including Christian musicians Shaun Groves, John Schlitt and Cheri Keaggy. The movie adaptation of Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz received $345,992 (276% of its original goal) from more than 4,495 donors through Kickstarter to make it one of the largest crowd-funded films in history, according to Paste Magazine and Kickstarter's website. For more information about Kickstarter, visit kickstarter.com.

About Carolyn Arends:
Carolyn Arends has released 10 albums and is the author of three critically-acclaimed books. Fifteen of Arends' songs have become Top 10 radio singles on the Canadian pop and U.S. Christian charts. Arends has earned two Dove Awards, three Juno Nominations, and was recognized as the West Coast Music Awards' Songwriter of the Year.

Arends' most recent musical project, Love Was Here First (2009), was nominated for a West Coast Music Award and six Covenant Awards.

Theology is Aisle Seven, Arends' most recent book, published in 2012, is a collection of four years of Arends' award-winning Christianity Today columns. The e-book offers sharp, creative glimpses into a full-orbed Christian spirituality. Arends' prose has been recognized repeatedly by the Evangelical Press Association, The Word Guild and The Canadian Church Press Association.

Arends has a Master's Degree in Theological Studies from Regent College and a B.A. in Psychology and English from Trinity Western University. She lives in Surrey, BC, with her husband, Mark, and their two children, Benjamin and Bethany. In addition to her busy concert and speaking schedule, she is a college instructor and columnist. For more information, visit carolynarends.com.

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