Journal Jots – Blog

Welcome to my Journal Jots blog! This is a broad mix of what’s on my mind, allowing me to feel a little bit closer to some of the most important people in my life—YOU! From news on sales, freebies, giveaways, new releases, and excerpts from works in progress … to my thoughts on my walk with God, daily devotionals, or photos of my family, this is where you’ll find the most current glimpse into my books and my life. I invite you to subscribe in the “subscribe” box on the right side of this page to automatically receive an email whenever I post a blog. Till then, God bless and HAPPY READING!

Monday, September 21, 2026

 

WIN FREE BOOKS & GIFT CARDS BELOW!

✅   Blog Tour with $50 Amazon Gift-Card Giveaway Starts Today, 9/21/26! 

✅   Win Paperback of A Whim and a Prayer OR Four e-Books!

✅   Chance to Win ANOTHER $50 Amazon Gift Card!

✅   Want a Free e-Book?

Read my prior blog including 1st excerpt from Winnie’s story HERE!

 

Blog Tour with Giveaway Starts Today! 

Want to win a $50 Amazon gift card?

Well, now’s your chance and it’s easy-peasy! Visit one or all of 22 blogs featured on my blog tour, and you’re in the draw to win! 

She’s a former orphan
desperate to protect her heart.

He’s a best friend who protects
her from the start.

Till prayer protects them both from
a true love torn apart.

AND … the more blogs you visit, the better your chances, so GOOD LUCK and HAPPY BLOGGING!

HERE’S THE LINK TO THE BLOG TOUR AND THE SCHEDULE:

 

September 21
Where Faith and Books Meet
Happily Managing a Household of Boys
Woven by Words
Reading Is My SuperPower
A Modern Day Fairy Tale

September 22
All of a kind Mom
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s book and movie reviews
Beauty in the Binding
A Baker’s Perspective

September 23
Books Less Travelled
Inklings and Notions
By The Book
Christy’s Cozy Corners

September 24
For Him and My Family
Radiant Light
Lisa’s Reading
LiteraryScape Podcast

September 25
FINCHNWREN
Inspired by Fiction
The Blended Blog
Hallie Reads
Miss Pippi Reads

 

Win Signed Paperback OR 4 e-Books!

Here’s a chance to win your choice of a signed paperback copy of A WHIM AND A PRAYER (or one of my other books) … OR … all 4 of the e-books in The Cousins O’Connor series, including A WHIM AND A PRAYER! How?

Just head on over to the INSPIRATIONAL HISTORICAL FICTION INDEX where you can read my interview with award-winning author Melissa Jagears. Not only is it an AMAZING website to search out all Inspirational Historical books, but there’s always a giveaway going on, so it’s WIN-WIN!

Simply opt for a free entry OR you can boost your chances to win with various other options — the choice is yours!

BONUS OPTION FOR JOURNAL JOT MEMBERS ONLY: Send me an email at CONTACT JULIE to answer the following question, and you’ll automatically win your choice of one of any of my indie e-books:

HOW OLD WAS I WHEN I BEGAN WRITING MY DEBUT NOVEL, A PASSION MOST PURE?

 

 

Chance to Win ANOTHER $50 Amazon Gift Card!

September is my month for the THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE, so I hope you will join me for a Zoom chat on A WING AND A PRAYER on Tuesday, September 29 at 6 PM CDT (OR 4 PM PDT AND 7 PM EDT), where you can ask me questions AND be eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1.) Just sign up for THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE HERE.

2.) Read A WING AND A PRAYER (now on e-sale for only 99 cents!) or maybe reread it if you already own it.

3.) Simply post a question in the chat during the Zoom on September 29 (details automatically will be sent to you after you sign up for the challenge).

4.) Then after the Zoom, just send me an email at CONTACT JULIE with your full name and the question you asked, and I will enter you in the drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

NOTE: If you can’t be there on the 29th, you can still enter by asking a question ahead of time at THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE and clicking on the SUBMIT A QUESTION TAB.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN MY NEXT JOURNAL JOT BLOG. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

 

 

Want a Free e-Book?

You know what? Although posting a review on a book you loved is the BEST way to bless an author you like, many people don’t do it, so when someone does post a good review for me, I am SO grateful that I give them a free e-book.

If that’s you, then PLEASE let me know so I can thank you from the bottom of my heart and the top of my book list, okay? You can contact me through my website at CONTACT JULIE.

HUGS AND HAPPY READING!

JULIE

 

September 1, 2026

 

✅   WHEW! What a Summer!

✅   We Have a Winner in the Pre-Order Contest!

✅   Winnie’s Almost Here!

✅   Free Download!

✅  Upcoming Contest: Win a $50 Gift Card!

✅   What Am I Pre-Ordering?

 Read my prior blog including 1st excerpt from Winnie’s story HERE!

 

Whew … What a Summer! 

Boy, oh boy … has it been a busy summer in Sweet Home Alabama!  (Roll Tide! 🏈)

Not only is an O’Connor cousin — Winifred Dennehy — making her debut in my upcoming release, A WHIM AND A PRAYER, on September 8, which definitely kept me busy, but we’ve also been settling into Bama life and lots of quality time with family and friends!

So, check out the montage below where my son’s family came for a visit including this rainy day in the woods, my granddaughter and I celebrated the 4th, my better half won a pickle-ball award, my daughter and I are having fun, one of many beautiful sunsets, and lots of rides on the waverunner!  All in, a truly blessed first summer in our new Alabama home!

      

 

 

Our Winner in the Pre-Order Contest! 

And now … it’s Winnie’s turn to shine, and boy, does she!

Along with … the winner of my pre-order contest who has won a fairly major character named after her in A WHIM AND A PRAYER, plus a signed paperback copy, and a $25 Amazon gift card. So, without further ado, let’s give a great big round of applause for …

Cari Lee Barton!

 

SUPER CONGRATS to Cari and a big thank you to each and every one of you who pre-ordered A WHIM AND A PRAYER and to Randomizer who picked Cari out of a slew of wonderful entrants. I truly wish you all could have won!

Cari … I will be in touch soon!

 

 

Whoo-Hoo … Winnie’s Almost Here!

Yep, the good news is Winnie’s almost here … but the even better news is … she’s still on a pre-order discount sale until her release date of September 8, so go for the discount before her price goes up!

She’s a former orphan desperate to protect her heart.
He’s a best friend who protects her from the start.
Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart.

Discarded like so much trash on the steps of an orphanage at age two, seventeen-year-old Winifred Dennehy thinks God has it out for her. Abandoned by abusive parents and born cross-eyed to boot, she spent the first four years of her life battling bullies and verbal abuse. Deliverance came in the form of one Beckett Campbell, the ten-year-old orphan who became her best friend and guardian angel for life, along with an orphanage volunteer by the name of Mrs. D. When Mrs. Charity Dennehy adopts Winnie into her family, has her crossed eyes fixed, and secretly arranges for Beckett to be fostered and then adopted by elderly neighbors down the street, Winnie figures her luck has changed. But instead of attributing it to God like Beckett does, she’s inclined to believe it’s her own grit, charm, and spontaneity that has paved the way.


From the moment twenty-four-year-old Beckett Campbell saw the tiny, cross-eyed orphan who reminded him of the sister he lost, he wanted to love and protect her forever. Best friends from the start despite over five years apart, Winnie’s naïve spontaneity for wild hairs and whims keeps Beck’s mature responsibility busy and happily so. Until the little girl he wanted to protect suddenly becomes the young woman he wants to love. When Winnie insists on protecting their friendship from the fear and risk of anything more, Beck has a decision to make. Friendship forever … or a life apart from the best friend he loves. Praying that Winnie will change her mind, Beck doesn’t hold out much hope for that day. But when an unexpected turn of events alters both of their lives, it puts “a whim and a prayer” on a collision course that just might make a way.

PRE-ORDER DISCOUNT HERE!

 

Free Download! 

Get ready for Winnie by reading about her background in A WHISPER OF HOPE, my O’Connor Christmas novella that introduces Winnie to the family. And where Charity’s up to her old tricks!  Here’s the blurb:

She’s desperate for a baby.
He’s desperate for an empty nest.
Love is desperate to surprise them both.

With a husband dead set against adoption, Charity O’Connor Dennehy has barely a whisper of hope for more children, but if hope doesn’t disappoint … will it be enough to find a precious bundle under her tree?

FROM SEPTEMBER 1-5 ONLY
FREE DOWNLOAD HERE! 

 

 

 

Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! 

Guess what? September is my month for the THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE, so I hope you will join me for a Zoom chat on A WING AND A PRAYER on Tuesday, September 29, where you can ask me questions AND be eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1.) Just sign up for THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE HERE.

2.) Read A WING AND A PRAYER  (now on e-sale for only 99 cents!) or maybe reread it if you already own it.

3.) Simply post a question in the chat during the Zoom on September 29 (details automatically will be sent to you after you sign up for the challenge).

4.) Then after the Zoom, just send me an email at CONTACT JULIE with your full name and the question you asked, and I will enter you in the drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.  

WINNER ANNOUNCED IN MY NEXT JOURNAL JOT BLOG. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

 

 

So … What Am I Pre-Ordering? 

I can count on one hand the number of authors whose books I pre-order, and MaryLu Tyndall is definitely one. And let me just say that after reading Books One and Two in her amazing series, The Legend of the King’s Ring, I am chomping at the bit to get to her upcoming release, Book 3, The Sacrifice.

He Was Danger . . . But Still She Felt Safest in His Arms

Amos Kent Carlton has faced death before—but never with a noose around his neck. Spared at the last moment and sold into servitude, he vows to reclaim his freedom at any cost. Trust is a luxury he cannot afford… and faith, a relic he left behind long ago.

Lady Alexandra Ashcombe commands ships, land, and men with unyielding precision. But when the pirate placed under her authority begins to unravel both her control—and her guarded heart—she finds herself caught in a battle far more perilous than any she has fought in society or trade.

For the Ring of Solomon has resurfaced. Sought by those who crave its power, the ancient artifact carries with it whispers of divine authority… and devastating consequence. As enemies converge and the line between justice and vengeance blurs, Amos and Alexandra must confront the truth: Some chains cannot be broken without cost. Some love cannot survive without surrender. And some destinies demand the ultimate sacrifice.

I encourage you to check it out!                                     PRE-ORDER  HERE!

Hugs and Happy Summer!

Julie

NEWSFLASH! August 18, 2026

 

 

Special Newsflash!!

 

💚 💛 🧡 

 


😱 WHAT???!!!!

Win a character named for you in

A Whim  and a Prayer — which releases

September 8 — PLUS a signed paperback copy AND

a $25 Amazon gift card??

 

YES you can! Why? Because I am SO happy to have finished my edits that I decided to celebrate with a giveaway!

Some of you may remember contests I’ve run in the past to have a character named after you or a loved one in a future book of mine. Well, I’m happy to say that there are still a few winners from a past contest that actually appear in A Whim and a Prayer, so I hope it gives them
a thrill when they see it.

BUT … when I realized I had a fairly major character left that I could rename, I thought I’d give YOU a chance to do it for me with your name or any other female friend or relative you want to surprise.

And the best part? Not only will you get the pre-order discount that goes up in price on release day, September 8, but you’ll also get a signed paperback copy of A WHIM AND A PRAYER with your name immortalized in it PLUS a $25 Amazon gift card! (NOTE: U.S. entrants only for the paperback, but international entrants eligible for gift card and name in book.)

How? By simply pre-ordering A WHIM AND A PRAYER at the pre-order reduced rate — which many of you already have — then letting me know via the CONTACT JULIE tab on my website (on the honor system), and I will toss your name in the hat for a random drawing. Winners will be announced on my Journal Jot blog on September 1st.

Here’s how I picture the hero, Beckett Campbell, and here’s the jacket blurb:

She’s a former orphan
desperate to protect her heart.

He’s a best friend
who protects her from the start.

Till prayer protects them both
from a true love torn apart.


So, good luck, and happy reading!

 

 

The Christian Fiction Reading Challenge!

You are cordially invited to join me and eleven other bestselling and award-winning authors for a year of great reading and great discussions via Zoom.

Each month, we dive into a novel by many of your favorite Christian authors, and there will be plenty of variety! Romance. Heart-pounding suspense. A visit to 1970’s London. Even a princess in search of true love.

This month’s chat is with award-winning author CARA PUTMAN regarding her fabulous novel, THE TARGETED, so if you’ve read it, be sure to sign up for the Zoom HERE, then come by for Cara’s Zoom chat TUESDAY, AUGUST 25 at 6PM CDT … or, if you haven’t read it, check it at the title link above and come on by because not only is Cara a lawyer and a law professor, but an award-winning author of Christian suspense. 

NOTE: My month is September for a Zoom chat on A Wing and a Prayer, so I hope you’ll consider joining us for that one in particular (see sale info below and info on winning a $50 gift card!).

Some books have strong Christian content. Some are clean reads but written from a Christian worldview. No matter which of those describes the book of the month, we hope you’ll love it.

Again, to join, just go to the website at Christian Fiction Reading Challenge HERE. Read the information about when and where and how it all works, then drop your name and email address into the signup box. You’ll receive the important information each month via email (the book everyone is reading, the day and time of the Zoom chat). And if you can’t make the Zoom, don’t worry. The video will be uploaded so you can watch later.

We can’t wait to see you!

 

 

CONTEST: Win $50 Gift Card! 

Guess what? September is my month for the THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE, so I hope you will join me for a Zoom chat on A WING AND A PRAYER on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, where you can ask me questions AND be eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1.) Just sign up for THE CHRISTIAN FICTION READING CHALLENGE HERE. (Details automatically will be sent to you after you sign up for the challenge).

2.) Read A WING AND A PRAYER (will be on e-sale for only 99 cents on Sept. 1) or maybe reread it if you already own it.

3.) Simply post a question in the chat during the Zoom on September 29 at 6PM CDT.

4.) Then after the Zoom, just send me an email at CONTACT JULIE with your full name and the question you asked, and I will enter you in the drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN MY OCTOBER JOURNAL JOT BLOG. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Hugs and Happy Summer!

Julie

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