Grupo Nelson to novelize Bella.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” For Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), the cook and Nina (Tammy Blanchard) the beautiful waitress, life hasn’t turned out the way either had planned. Living with the weight of guilt and lost dreams, both struggle to survive and to make sense of what life now holds. But the events of an ordinary day in New York City turn into an unforgettable experience that changes both of their lives forever.

Grupo Nelson, the Spanish division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, will soon release the Spanish version of Bella in the U.S. (Shipping May 15th) and in Latin America (June 2008). Written by award winning author of 19 books, Lisa Samson, the novel is based on the original screenplay by Alejandro G. Monteverde, Patrick Million and Leo Severino.

Bella is a heartwarming story that celebrates life, love, family and relationships

Bella is a love story that goes much deeper than romance. It is a story about a man who gave up his life to save the girl he loved. Bella is a heartwarming story that celebrates life, love, family and relationships.

Produced by Metanoia Films, the motion movie became the #1 top-rated film of 2007 and one of the most honored films of the year — winning the coveted People’s Choice Award of the Toronto Film Festival, Best Picture and Best Actor at the 2008 Movie Guide Awards, and the prestigious Legacy Award from the Smithsonian Institute’s Latino Center.

On May 6, 2008, the movie will be available for distribution in the U.S. in DVD format from LIONSGATE Home Entertainment and Thomas Nelson Publishers’ Fiction division will simultaneously release the book in English. The film will open in theaters in Mexico on May 2. Grupo Nelson will launch the Spanish book version of Bella in the U.S. on May 15 in Miami, FL at their annual booksellers’ conference. The book is expected to be in points of sale in Latin America after June 2008.