PLAINFIELD, NJ, Aug. 5 – The biography of former Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins will soon be released by Logos International, the multi-million dollar religious publishing firm located here.

Publication of the 290-page, $7.95 hardback book, entitled “Susan Atkins: Child of Satan, Child of God,” is slated for early fall, according to a Logos spokeman. The paperback rights have been sold to Bantam Books for $150,000.

Atkins, who is serving a life sentence for the first degree murder of Sharon Tate and six others, received no money for the book. Royalties will go to a non-profit Christian ministry, the New Life Foundation of Cookville, Tenn., to establish a community for wayward women, according to the book and spokesmen from Logos.

The book, which was written by Bob Slosser, traces Atkin’s childhood, her years with Manson leading to the brutal Sharon Tate murders and, finally, her conversion in prison to a “born again” Christian.

In the past Logos has published books by others who have committed crimes and later claimed a Christian rebirth “Run Baby Run” by Nicky Cruz, the story of a Puerto Rican gang leader who later converts, is one of the firm’s earliest and most successful publications.

“Stories about people who have undergone great bouts with evil and have gone on to conversion and faith in Jesus Christ have often provided grist for our books,” said Dennis Baker, assistant editor in Logos’ book division.

Other public figures, most notably Watergate conspirator Charles Colson and former Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver, have recently made headlines when they announced they had been born again. But many remain skeptical of their conversion.

Baker said that he expects that many people will doubt if Atkins is sincere in her story of finding Christ, but those who have had direct contact with her are convinced of her conversion.

“Some people will object to this vehemently,” he said. “If they believe in God, they will object that God will have mercy on someone like Susan Atkins. If they don’t, they will say it’s a religious copout. But the Christian religion has always held its arms open to all people,” Baker said.

According to the book, Atkins was a religious child who lost faith after her mother died of cancer and her father became an alcoholic. She left home and soon fell into the drug scene in San Francisco and under the clutches of Manson.

The book discounts the theory of L. A. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, presented in the book “Helter Skelter,” that the Tate murders were performed to begin a race war that would ultimately bring the Manson family to power.

In his book, Bugliosi described Atkins as remorseless for the killings. She was accused of killing the pregnant Tate and then tasting her blood.

In her book, Atkins says she was under the satanic influence of Manson, but says she took no active role in any of the murders. She claims she began thinking of Christ when another convicted Manson family member began writing of his beliefs. This led her to explore the Bible, baptism in an immersion tank, talking in tongues and baptism by the Holy Spirit.

Slosser, former editor of the National Courier, a biweekly religious newspaper published by Logos, said he wrote the account after spending two weeks with Atkins in prison.

“I became totally convinced of her conversion experience,” Slosser said. “I consider her a friend. She’s a lot like Colson, whom I know. For both change was dramatic, almost instant.”

Slosser is a former assistant news editor with the New York Times and last year wrote “The Miracle of Jimmy Carter,” focusing on the religious rebirth of the president.

Originally, Atkins was sentenced to death for her part in the atrocities, but the sentence was commuted to life when California’s death penalty was ruled illegal. She will be eligible for parole next year and hopes eventually to join the ministry in Tennessee to help other women.

Another Manson family member, Charles “Tex” Watson, has recently announced he has been born again and a book about his experiences will soon be published by Fleming-Revell.

By D. W. NAUSS