There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens …
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing …
a time to be silent and a time to speak …
Ecclesiastes 3:5 & 7
Anybody that knows me knows I’m a hugger. And I don’t just give one hug, I give several, with all my might because when I care about someone, I want them to feel that I am pouring every emotion into that hug to let them know just how special they are.
But even for hugs, there is time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. For instance, this week my hubby and I spent the weekend with dear friends whom we enjoy immensely. But my sweet friend of almost 45 years does not like to hug. You see, she’s a very private person with a very big heart, but hugging is not something she’s comfortable with. So I try to avoiding overhugging her, which is difficult for a hugger like me, although she is gracious enough to allow both a hello and a goodbye hug, for which I am most grateful.
Unfortunately for me and my hugger nature, lately I have felt a very strong leading to not only “refrain from embracing,” but to be silent.
Be still and know that I am God. —
What does that mean? Well, for me, it means that over the last month, I’m strongly feeling that this is my season to write and only write. Those of you who read my final book in the Heart of San Francisco series, Surprised by Love, may recognize “The Abraham Factor” in play here.
What is The Abraham Factor, you ask? It’s a Biblical concept I included in Surprised by Love where the hero, Bram Hughes, explains to Logan McClare, the older hero, about putting his love for Caitlyn McClare “on the altar” like Abraham did with his son Isaac in the Old Testament. You can read about it in more detail HERE in a prior Journal Jot, but basically it’s a concept that God first taught me while writing my Heart of San Francisco series, and now I’m ready to put it into action in my writing in a deeper way than ever before.
So, beginning with this Journal Jot, I will be pulling back from most promotion, social media, and even Journal Jots to a degree. BUT … I promise I will keep you apprised of anything you need to know such as sales, freebies, new releases, and what I’m working on at the moment, so although it won’t be as regular as my once a week Journal Jot, I will keep you in the loop, I promise.
However … in order to do that, I strongly suggest you subscribe to my Journal Jot blog if you haven’t already because as soon as I DO post something you need to know, you will receive an email with the entire post in it, but ONLY if you subscribe! All you have to do is enter your email address in the box at the top right of this page that says, “Enter your email address to subscribe to Julie’s Blog.” That way, you will never miss any news, okay?
During this time, I’ll be focusing hard on my writing, so I’m hoping to have both book 3 in the “Isle of Hope” series, Unchanging Love, and book 1 in my Western “Silver Lining Ranch” series, Love’s Silver Lining, out next fall, plus a prequel novella to that Western series in the spring. And then hopefully — fingers crossed! — separate ebook releases of Charity & Mitch’s Christmas novella from the Seeker’s Hope for the Holidays collection and Lizzie & Brady’s novella from the Home for Christmas collection (both of which are no longer for sale). In addition, I hope to write new Christmas novellas for Faith & Collin and Katie & Luke, so again, if you want to be kept in the loop about these ventures — please subscribe to Journal Jots!
Update on Evie!!
I can’t thank you all enough for your prayers for my granddaughter, Evie (Genevieve). She is doing very well, and although the echocardiogram she had on 10/7 did not reflect the total healing I was hoping for, she is doing very well. My son and daughter-in-law are trying to fatten her up for surgery in February to correct her heart problem, and after that, my sweet little Evie will be able to live a normal life, so praise God! Your continued prayers for the surgery would be greatly appreciated, and I will keep you posted.
We Have a Winner!!
My month-long Thunderclap contest is over and I want to thank everyone who participated — you guys are AMAZING!! So the winner of a character named after them in the Love Everlasting paperback due out in November (and her name will be in the revised e-copy as well), plus a signed copy and signed paperback or ecopies of 3 of my books and a framed quote from Isle of Hope is …
Beth Erin!!!
SUPER CONGRATS to Beth and all of her hard work! I will be in contact soon.
Again, I want to thank every one of you who read my Journal Jots on a regular basis. So many of you are kind enough to contact me to tell me you are praying, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. You are not just readers of my blog — you are good friends who mean a great deal to me, whether I post a JJ once a week or once a month.
I’d appreciate your continued prayers for God’s leading in my career, His anointing on my writing, and, of course, for sweet Evie.
Hugs and more hugs!
Julie
Last Contest of the Year!!
40-BOOK PROMO ENDS TOMORROW, 10/17!! To celebrate the beginning of fall, I have teamed up with more than 40 fantastic inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge collection of novels, PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!
Which means you can win my novel, Love Everlasting, plus books from tons of other top authors! So, enter the giveaway by clicking HERE. Good luck, and enjoy!
Sale!!
If you haven’t had the chance yet to read the award-winning, 5-star book 1, Isle of Hope, your timing is good because it is now on sale for 50% off at the lowest price yet of $3.99, so you can check it and all the reviews HERE.
Free Download!!
Finally, if you haven’t downloaded the prequel novella to Isle of Hope, A Glimmer of Hope, what are you waiting for? It’s FREE and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, so I hope you take advantage.
