Redemption Press, a local Christian book publisher that opened up shop in 2014, has moved into the historic Enumclaw National Bank building on Griffin Avenue and Cole Street.

To be more specific, it’s two companies sharing the 1602 Cole Street address: Redemption Press is the parent company and publishing house, while Romans 8:28 Books is the bookstore that founder Athena Dean Holtz and her team set up in 2019 at their old digs in 1218 Griffin Avenue. The new home of both businesses officially opened April 7, Holtz said.

Inside, the former site of the Almost Necessities gift shop has retained its airy, light atmosphere. Books from Redemption Press authors line the shelves along with plenty of space for authors to read, write and visit.

Many of the titles inside the new place are published through Redemption Press and are sold through Romans 8:28. Initially, Holtz said, they planned to only sell books from authors they were publishing, but the book store has expanded to sell bibles, journals and other gifts and general items.

Expanding a niche, independent publishing house to such a prominent location in Enumclaw’s rapidly-growing downtown is no small feat. Holtz says it will allow Redemption and Romans 8:28 to invest more into selling their authors’ books —something that was much less of a focus at their smaller, less trafficked previous location.

Now, “I’d say it’s 50-50,” Holtz said of the publishing — selling balance at the new location. “Because it’s such a great spot. I wanted this years ago. I didn’t want to limit it to just our books, but I want it to be a platform for people to learn about our authors.”

Anyone can self-publish on Amazon, but talented and caring editors like those at Redemption can help a fledgling author reach the next level, Holtz said.

“It’s work,” Holtz said. “That’s a big deal for us, to do quality, traditional development, line edits, copy edits, proofreads, all of that.”

Redemption holds writer’s conferences, bootcamps, and other services for developing writers. They mostly sell Christian content, Holtz said, but the bookstore is open to selling books on other topics from their authors as well.

The verse which is the namesake of Holtz’ bookstore is a famous section of the Bible, reassuring that God works all things together for the good of his loving followers.

It’s an appropriate verse of the good book, as Holtz is no stranger to adversity in the midst of faith.

Holtz co-founded WinePress Publishing in Enumclaw in 1991; at the time, it was a pioneer in independent Christian publishing, she said.

But Holtz would come to leave the company she co-founded. WinePress eventually came under the ownership of the Sound Doctrine Church in Enumclaw. There’s a long history to Sound Doctrine and their operations in Enumclaw, but Holtz puts it this way: She’d let the wrong people into the business at WinePress, and the business closed not many years after they’d taken over.

She told God she was “never coming back to Enumclaw.” But former city attorney and local property owner Mike Reynolds convinced her to give it another shot.

So Redemption Press, started in 2014, was just that — a fresh start for Holtz’ career in Christian publishing, as well as chance to reconnect with the authors and community she’d built relationships with at WinePress.

“After having lost my career in publishing because of a bad business deal, a bad decision to allow others to take over my company, God just turned it around,” she said. “I felt like this is redemption, for me. My company was destroyed, and its reputation was destroyed, but I was able to go back to what I knew and was good at: Helping people get their stories out.”

Photo by Alex Bruell Athena Dean Holtz, founder of Redemption Press, has moved the Christian publishing operation across Griffin Avenue in Enumclaw into the historical Enumclaw National Bank building. It’s a move that will allow them to highlight more of their authors’ work, Holtz said.