Journal Jots – Blog

YIKES!!! I’m at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis and literally have NO time to breathe, much less tackle a Journal Jot right now, but I PROMISE I will post in the next day or two, hopefully with LOTS of fun pix and happenings, so stay tuned …

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

Hugs, Julie

 

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

 —How He Loves, by John Mark McMillan 

Have you ever had a single phrase circle in your head for a solid week? You know, kind of like an “ear worm,” only it’s not a song? Well, that happened to me this last week with two words that brought me SO much peace and SO much joy and yes … tears … that I’m actually tearing up all over again just at the thought of them.

Boy, I’ll bet I’ve got your attention now, don’t I, waiting on baited breath—or not—to see what two words transformed my week??? Well, as a romance writer, these two words are a favorite of mine for sure, but no more so than in the last seven days when the Holy Spirit kept whispering them in my ear.

Love Affair … Love Affair … Love Affair …

No, I’m not talking Rhett & Scarlett here, Marcy & Patrick or Collin & Faith, although those relationships certainly bear many of the marks of the type of love affair I’m talking about—passion, tenderness, sacrifice … passion … 🙂 

You see, I’m getting ready for the ACFW Conference next week (American Christian Fiction Writers) here in my hometown of St. Louis, so the fact that the conference is actually IN my hometown has put a little more on my plate than usual prior to a conference, increasing my stress level, which always makes me cling to God all the more. First of all, I am co-teaching a workshop with Ruth Axtell Morren called “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss,” which, of course, is a play on the lyrics from the song in the movie Casablanca called As Time Goes By, by Herman Hupfeld that goes like this:

You must remember this

A kiss is just a kiss,

A sigh is just a sigh.

The fundamental things apply …

As time goes by.

—As Time Goes By, music and words by Herman Hupfeld

 

Sigh. Kisses have to be one of my all-time favorite subjects … but I digress. Now, this is not the first time I’m teaching a workshop, BUT it’s the first time I’m teaching one at ACFW, which is comprised SOLELY of my peers, so if that’s not intimidating enough, try 165 of them staring at you, expecting Ruth and I to tell them something they don’t already know. Yeah, right!!

Then add to the mix that I am hosting a dinner party for The Seekers the night before as well as housing five wonderful women in a house that needs to be cleaned, scoured, and primped and menus planned, bought and prepared for 16 people PLUS get my own bags packed to stay at the Hyatt for the conference, an ordeal in and of itself. Keep in mind that I am a CDQ who has MSD (Martha Stewart Disease where, yes, I will actually put mints on the pillows …). Throw in the minor fact that my new book just released this month and it’s NOT a pretty picture for my family, who would dearly love to leave town.

Soooo … during times of stress like this, I tend to focus on God all the more, of course, and as usual, He does not fail. Through it all, He has covered me in His peace and calm (yeah, I know—hard to believe for a wired individual like me!). Ironically, it was during a relaxing four days at The Lake of the Ozarks last week with my husband’s cousin and his wife (Hi, Karen — we had a blast and wish we could do it all over again …) that the words “love affair” especially resonated with me. Whether sitting with my feet up out on the screened-in deck of our condo, overlooking the lake or skimming across the water in Mike’s boat, those precious words kept lighting on my mind like a caress from God. Because it was during this relaxing, non-stressed time that I realized to the core of my being that my love affair with God is what keeps me afloat in good times and bad. There is a scene in my new book, A Heart Revealed, that describes what I’m talking about when I say a “love affair” with God. Emma is trying to explain it to her young neighbor (who, I am happy to say is named after my dear friend Casey Herringshaw, who won my newsletter contest to have a character named after her in this book). Here is what Emma says while she and Casey are playing Dominoes, which is exactly how I feel a love affair with God should be:

     “You know how you feel when you’re with Johnny, as if you’re going to bubble over for the love he brings into your life?”

     Casey nodded, a blush blooming on her face as she released a lovesick sigh.

     “Well, it’s the same with me,” Emma said in a matter-of-fact tone, fingers flitting across the sea of tiles to turn each of them face down.

     Ridges formed in Casey’s brow. “I don’t understand. Rory hurt you and now you’re alone.” She squinted, as if trying to comprehend. “Do you mean love for friends?”

     “Yes, affection for you, Mrs. Peep and others, certainly, but that’s not the love I mean.”

     “What, then?” Casey asked, the innocence in her face plucking at Emma’s heart.

     Emma paused, fingers lingering on a tile. She glanced up with a tentative smile. “The kind of love that has the passion of a lover and the faithfulness of a friend, Casey—God’s love.”

     Casey’s eyelids lowered as she shifted in her seat. “But we can’t see or feel God, Emma, so how can you feel his love? I need more than prayers to a God I can’t touch, see or hear—I want to hear words of love, see kind actions, feel hugs and kisses …”

     “We all do, because yes, we’re human beings. But we were made in God’s image.” Drawing in a deep breath, Emma leaned back in her chair, her eyes tender. “Which means, Casey, like Father, like daughter. You want to be loved? So does he. You want to be touched? So does he. You want to feel the rush of a kiss or the warmth of a hug?” Tears pricked Emma’s eyes. “So does he, Casey. Which is why I rushed to him when Rory hurt me and my family betrayed me. And you know what? I found a God whose arms were open wide and whose heart leapt with joy when I called his name. As protective as a mother and as jealous as a lover, this was a God who wanted me for his very own. Me—Emma Malloy! To touch, to bless, to fill with his pleasure.” She swallowed hard, her gaze locked on Casey’s. “Until I overflow, spilling his love on all those around me—treasured possessions of a passionate God.”

Love affair. Each of has one with the God of the Universe, but not all of us are aware of it. He craves our love, our time, our clinging to Him in good times and bad because we are the “apple of His eye,” as Zechariah 2:8 so beautifully eludes to: “for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye …” As wonderful as that first kiss made you feel, the warmth of a loved one’s embrace, MORE SO is God’s love able to sustain and fulfill, so don’t miss out! If you don’t feel it, know it—ASK Him to show it to you. Ask Him to open your eyes to this love affair that is as close as your next breath and as life-sustaining as the next beat of your heart, because I promise you—if you tap in to that kind of love affair, your heart will be stolen away forever.

And speaking of heart’s being stolen away forever … I thought it would be fun to include a pic from a car show my hubby and I went to with Mike and Karen. We had a BLAST, even though I know NOTHING about cars and can barely tell a VW bug from an SUV. BUT … I was beyond tickled by the Model T’s and older cars I saw because I could almost picture Charity hiding in the back seat when Mitch took Kathleen home in A Passion Redeemed! 🙂 Sooooo fun!!!

 

 

 

Good News!! The reviews from A Heart Revealed have been rolling in, and I am SO thrilled that about 80% of the reader friends who have contacted me say that A Heart Revealed is now their favorite of all of my books, so YAY!!  I want to remind everyone who reads it that I am running another newsletter contest where anyone who posts a review on Amazon.com, CBD.com, Goodreads, B&N or anywhere else, gets a point for every review posted. It only has to be a line or two saying you liked the book and a 5-star review if you can honestly give it that, then even just one review posted enters you into a drawing for a signed copy of Steven’s story, A Trust Restored when it comes out next year. The persons who come in first and second in posting the most reviews will get a character named after them in Steven’s story and the top winner will also get a $50 gift card. So if that sounds like something you’d be interested in, just sign up for my newsletter at http://www.julielessman.com/sign-up-for-newsletter/ and post a review or more and let me know by forwarding me the links. BUT … if posting reviews is NOT your thing, PLEASE do not worry about it, okay? This is only for those people so inclined.

THEN, don’t forget that Luke’s story in book 1 in The Winds of Change series, A Hope Undaunted, is FREE on CBD.com e-book, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and Sony E-reader for a limited time. So PLEASE pass the word and download it yourself if you can. You do not need a Kindle, Nook or e-reader to download it —you can download e-books on ANYTHING, including PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, Cloud Readers, Androids, Blackberrys and Windows Phone 7, you name it!

FINALLY, I have the following blog/interview/giveaways going on this week, so leave a comment to enter the giveaways and GOOD LUCK!!

 

AUGUST 29 to ?, 2011

Join me at OneDesertRose’s Blog for a Q&A session where a comment will enter you in a random pool giveaway for participants from several blogs to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://onedesertrose.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/julie-lessman-interviewa-heart-revealed-available-september-2011/

 

SEPTEMBER 3 to OCTOBER 1, 2011

Join me at The Owl Bookmark blog for a Q & A session and a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://siobianthebookowl.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-q-with-julie-lessman-and.html

 

SEPTEMBER 9 to 30, 2011

Giveaway of A Heart Revealed at Radiant Light blog:

http://frommipov.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-heart-revealed-by-julie.html

 

SEPTEMBER 12 to 17, 2011

Join me at Overcoming Through Time blog for a chance to win a copy of one of my books. Be sure to leave a comment on each blog throughout the week, from Monday 9/12 through tomorrow, 9/17, to increase your chances of winning :

http://cfpagels.blogspot.com/

 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

Join me at Austenitis blog for a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://austenitis.blogspot.com/

 

Have a BLESSED weekend, and next weekend I hope to announce the winners of my contest to promote Pam Hillman’s Stealing Jake e-book.

Hugs,

Julie

 

  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly

beyond all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works within us …

—Ephesians 3:20 

 Oh my, yes … and do I have an example for you!! This week God supernaturally moved on my behalf and that of another one of His kids, turning something that could have been totally ugly into something so totally great that I still get goose bumps just thinking about it.

As most of you know, my new book A Heart Revealed is now out there in the marketplace or will be soon, so places like CBD.com and Amazon.com should be shipping next week if you ordered it through them. Unfortunately, Baker Publishing, mother company of my publisher Revell and Bethany House, experienced heavy book shipments with over 60 titles releasing in September alone, including Inspy icon Beverly Lewis, whose shipment numbers would boggle the mind.

At any rate, a few reviews started popping up on Amazon.com and CBD.com—mostly 5-star reviews—so I was cautiously optimistic, especially since many reader friends on FB were telling me that for them, A Heart Revealed either tied with A Passion Most Pure as their favorite OR was their new favorite of all my books. Ah … music to my ears!!

That is … until I hit a sour note. You see, I had almost no time to write on Cousins McClare this week, which always puts me in a glum mood. So when I saw a 2-star review on Amazon.com that not only indicated the reviewer was disappointed in Sean and Emma’s story, but also divulged the surprise plot/ending, I was on a free-fall from the sky into an ocean of self-pity. What did I do? True to my nature, I cried. Not once, not twice, but three times throughout the day, actually depleting my Kleenex box during a single waterwork session. True, it only had twelve Kleenex in it, but I assure you I used every single one—twice.

The second thing I did, which I always try to do, was praise God for the 2-star spoiler review and pray my heart out for the reviewer. I asked God to bless her and help me to forgive her. Over and over. And then over and over again. Because for some reason every time I thought of that spoiler review, tears would bubble up in my chest and I would feel depleted. Why? Well, as any Inspy author will tell you, there are a lot of sweat, toil and tears in every book, not to mention a mountain of prayers, and when you are a CDQ like me, you also bleed onto the paper, baring your soul and spilling your heart. Trust me, it’s not pretty. And since my books are thick enough to be used as a weapon, it takes me a year and a half of my life to produce a book with the writing, revising, editing, etc.

So, first off, I want to thank those dear friends of mine who prayed for me and left positive comments on the spoiler review—and you know who you are—because it helped me feel not so alone. And then the miraculous happened—your prayers kicked in and God took over. Let the goose bumps begin!!

That night Keith and I had a “tiny” tiff. “Julie, it’s not life and death,” he said, his patience thin after a day of me “wallowing” (his word, not mine). “You prayed about, now let it go and trust God.”  Grrrrr … the man has lived with me for 33 years and thinks I can just let something “go”??? “Don’t you think I’ve tried?” I shout (yes, I really did), “but the self-pity keeps swamping me. Give me a break—how many people do you know who engage in spiritual warfare against self-pity and anger like I do?” I say, eyes blazing, “huh??” I stare him down, and then the man does what he does best—he pulls me into his arms and soothes, telling me it’s going to be okay and we need to just take it to the throne of God and leave it there. “Will you pray that tomorrow’s a better day?” I sniff, my voice so nasal I sound like a fog horn. “Sure, babe,” he whispers and then he does … right before kissing me good night and going to bed. 🙂

Uh … not so, me. There I lay in the dark, eyes beseeching the ceiling fan overhead while my prayers wing heavenward to the God Who has never failed me yet, big problems or small. “Forgive me, God,” I whisper in between my husband’s snores, eyes sealed tight, “for wallowing in self-pity and not trusting in You and Your insurance policy: All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Suddenly, as wispy as the air from the fan overhead, peace billows in my soul and the tension slowly seeps from my body.

And then I heard it. That still small voice that drifted in my brain like a feather on a breeze. “Go look in your newsletter address book for the name of the reviewer.” My eyes popped open and my breathing shallowed. The reviewer had she’d enjoyed my other books, so just maybe … Heart racing, I vaulted from the bed and tore downstairs in my nightgown and bare feet, hair flying behind me (it’s long now, remember?). Fingers trembling, I clicked on my address book, typed in the one-word name and held my breath. Bingo! Sweet mother of Job, there she was, blinking back at me along with the cursor, and hope buoyed in my chest. Thank you, God! I mean, really, with reader friends all over the world, what are the chances of me finding the e-mail of the reviewer I had prayed for all day? “Please, God,” I whispered, “give me the grace and wisdom to say the right thing.”

So I wrote her a very nice e-mail asking her if she was the one who posted that review and if she did, would she prayerfully consider deleting the spoiler line or putting a “Spoiler Alert” at the top of the review. I told her I didn’t mind the 2-stars because that was understandable if she did not like the book, but that I had prayed and labored over this book for a year and a half to come up with a unique/surprise plot/ending and consequently, I literally broke down and cried when I saw all my efforts ruined by the spoiler review. Finally, I told her I would be happy to send her a check for the amount she spent so she wouldn’t feel like she’d wasted her money. NOTE TO READER FRIENDS: Do not try posting a bad review so that I will offer you money!!! It only worked once. 🙂

Okay, okay, maybe I did inject a tiny bit of guilt, but I’m not perfect for pity’s sake, just forgiven. And the rest of the story is nothing short of supernatural. Yep, you guessed it—this sweet, little thing wrote me back!! And not just wrote me back, but blessed the socks off of me with her incredible note below, which she has kindly given me permission to share:

Mrs. Lessman,

Yes, that was me. I’m sorry I posted that review and I have deleted it. Please, don’t send me a check; I don’t consider my money wasted. My review was ill written because I wrote it right after I read the book, and I was just disappointed greatly in how it turned out. This is nothing against you as an author, because I have books from every author I love that I haven’t liked, and I loved all of your other books. The review wasn’t written to be mean, and I’m really sorry for any hurt I have caused. Please forgive my being inconsiderate. I’ll always be a loyal fan, and I am anticipating your next novel. Once again, I’m sorry.

Somebody pass the Kleenex, please, because I was crying again, only this time it was tears of joy at how God took a painful situation and used it to bless both parties. This woman and I have now become “buds,” and not only buds, but two people who have learned first hand—again—just how God causes all things to work together for those who love Him. And to further prove that God’s Word is true, I asked this new reviewer friend of mine if she would consider posting reviews on my other books (the ones she liked, and yes, I really AM that brassy!). And to show you the class of this young woman, she promptly proceeded to post 5-star reviews on every one of my books except AHR, for which she pulled the negative review. HOLY COW … talk about God doing “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think”!! And I gotta tell you—those precious reviews mean the world to me because of the miracle they represent in a world where temper and bitterness all too often prevails.

And so my dear reviewer friend, I would like to publicly thank you for your kindness, graciousness and sensitivity to God’s Word. Pease know that I am praying for God to bless you richly because He loves you … and now, so do I!

Hugs and more hugs, Julie.

OKAY … NEWSFLASH!! Vote for your favorite Julie Lessman hero and get a shot at a signed copy of A Heart Revealed or any of my other books at Relz Reviews. Simply vote, then scroll down to leave a comment and then look for the tally update in Rel’s last comment on which of my heroes is winning. Last I heard, Luke McGee had Collin McGuire by a mile, which is a first since Collin has won the last three polls that I’ve seen. Here’s the link:

http://relzreviewz.blogspot.com/2011/09/character-spotlight-julie-lessmans-emma.html

THEN, don’t forget that Luke’s story in book 1 in The Winds of Change series, A Hope Undaunted, is FREE on CBD.com e-book, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and Sony E-reader for a limited time. Trust me, this is HUGE!!! Because what happens is that new people read one of my books, and a percentage of them (those crazy, over-the-top romantics who crave passion in their romance novels like me) will then go on to read the rest of the books, God willing!! So PLEASE pass the word and download it yourself if you can. You do not need a Kindle, Nook or e-reader to download it —you can download e-books on ANYTHING, including PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, Cloud Readers, Androids, Blackberrys and Windows Phone 7, you name it!

FINALLY, I have the following blog/interview/giveaways going on this week, so leave a comment to enter the giveaways and GOOD LUCK!!

AUGUST 25 to SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

Join me at Casey Herringshaw’s blog, Writing for Christ, for a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://enjoyingthewritingcraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/special-giveaway-and-author-interview.html

 

AUGUST 29 to ?, 2011

Join me at OneDesertRose’s Blog for a Q&A session where a comment will enter you in a random pool giveaway for participants from several blogs to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://onedesertrose.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/julie-lessman-interviewa-heart-revealed-available-september-2011/

 

SEPTEMBER 3 to OCTOBER 1, 2011

Join me at The Owl Bookmark blog for a Q & A session and a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://siobianthebookowl.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-q-with-julie-lessman-and.html

 

SEPTEMBER 6 to 10, 2011

Join me at Renee Chaw’s blog, Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot, for a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/

 

SEPTEMBER 9 to 30, 2011

Giveaway of A Heart Revealed at Radiant Light blog:

http://frommipov.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-heart-revealed-by-julie.html

 

SEPTEMBER 12 to 17, 2011

Join me at Overcoming Through Time blog for a chance to win a copy of one of my books:

http://cfpagels.blogspot.com/

 

Happy weekend!

Hugs,

Julie