Journal Jots – Blog

Let your light shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your Father in heaven.

—Matthew 5:16

Uh … I don’t know if you know this about me or not, but I tend to be a very passionate woman. 😍 Passionate about God. Passionate about family. And passionate about America. Consequently, my sweet, even-tempered husband has to calm me down a lot lately, regarding all the turmoil in our country.

Which is why this Bible reading last week was SO very welcome—and needed—because it calmed me down by redirecting my focus where it needs to be. On God, not man.

I LOVE all of Sarah Young’s amazing “Jesus” devotionals: Jesus Calling, Jesus Today, and Jesus Always, because they are truly some of the most anointed devotionals I have ever read. They’re written in first person as if Jesus is talking directly to you according to Scripture. They’re short and easy clips written in today’s language with Bible verses sprinkled liberally throughout, which are always italicized. I like to read the devotional for the day, then look up each of the Scriptures and read those entire chapters as my Bible reading.

Currently I am reading Jesus Always, and boy, did it set me straight today! So I thought I’d share a few of those lines to encourage all of us, of course, but especially those high-wired types like me, who tend to be a littttttle uptight during this critical time for our country.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Sometimes you feel bombarded by all the bad things happening in the world. News reports are alarming, and people are calling evil good, and good evil. Instead of being disheartened by the conditions of the world, I want my followers to be lights shining in the darkness.” —Jesus Today, October 29 reading.

“Lights shining in the darkness.” For me that means instead of screaming at the TV, getting angry at people with whom I don’t agree, I try to see them through God’s eyes because He loves them, so who am I to judge? Actions, yes. People, no.

Am I always successful? Nope. Do I always pray for them? Usually. Because I may not always be able to control my temper, but I can always, always be a light that glorifies my Father in heaven. How? By cursing evil, yes, but blessing the evil-doers, unleashing the power of prayer to draw them to God.

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,

pray for those who abuse you.

—Luke 6:27-28

And you know what? When I do? Suddenly the darkness in my mind is flooded with light because Jesus IS the Light of the world who relights my candle to chase the darkness away!

 For thou wilt light my candle:

the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.  

—Psalm 18:28

So, go—be a light! Both in your life AND in our country.

And Speaking of Lighting Candles …

I decided to light a few of my own. First, by putting my award-winning Christmas novel, A Light in the Window, on sale for only 99 cents!

Think The Bells of St. Mary’s meets The Gift of the Magi, then check out the incredible video/trailer my talented hubby did below using my daughter as the model for this feel-good-about-winter Christmas novel for ONLY 99 CENTS!

 

 

We Have Winners!

MEGA thanks to everyone who participated in the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt last week. Hope you had as much fun as we did. Now it’s time to announce the winners!

The FIVE WINNERS in the actual scavenger hunt can be found on Lisa Bergren’s blog HERE.

The FOUR WINNERS in my separate Rafflecopter Scavenger Hunt Extra Giveaway are as follows. TOP WINNER of a $25 Amazon gift card, e-copies of any five of my indie novels, and a character named after them or a loved one in my next book plus a signed paperback copy is:

DONNA IRVIN

THREE RUNNERS-UP who have their choice of any three of my indie e-books are:

BONNIE FAKHRI

ALE

MICHAELA HOFER

SUPER CONGRATS to the winners — I will be in touch with each of you soon! And MEGA THANKS to everyone else who entered — I wish everyone could win, but stay tuned to Journal Jots because I’ll have LOTS of giveaways coming up during the holidays!

 

Denise Hunter/Julie Lessman Giveaways!

Hey, guys, I just finished reading Denise Hunter’s latest release, Autumn Skies, and it is AWESOME!!

So, since Denise is a good friend of mine and the book is one of my faves of hers, I thought I’d do a FACEBOOK FLASH GIVEAWAY of Autumn Skies, plus random giveaways of my Christmas books!

Here are the details, so be sure to mark your calendars because this is the only notice you will get:

WHEN: FRIDAY, NOV. 6 – SUNDAY, NOV. 8

WHERE: ON MY FB AUTHOR PAGE HERE

WHAT: WIN SIGNED PAPERBACK OF AUTUMN SKIES & RANDOM GIVEAWAYS OF MY CHRISTMAS BOOKS

 Sign Up for Newsletter & Win a Book!

I am SO excited to be a part of — along with 24 other Christian authors — a new FB Group called A MOST STORIED ROMANCE that you are definitely going to want to join. Why? Because not only is it free, but because I’m featured in their November e-newsletter with an interview and my flash-fiction piece I wrote for SPARK MAGAZINE with my alternate ending for Gone With the Wind.

PLUS … if you subscribe and let me know via the CONTACT JULIE tab on my website, I’ll enter you to win your choice of any of my indie e-books, including my three latest, The Promise of Hope, A Wing and a Prayer, and Love’s Silver Bullet.

So … how do you sign up? Simply click on the following link and subscribe, and you’re in! 

A Most Storied Romance Monthly Newletter

MORE ABOUT THIS COOL FB GROUP … this new reader community is for those who love to read, write, and live romance! Join 25 uplifting romance authors listed below for reader events, blogger and reviewer opportunities, exclusive content, fun chats, and many, many book recommendations!

OUR AUTHORS … Karen Witemeyer, Denise Hunter, Rachel Scott McDaniel, Pepper D. Basham, Jessica Kate, Bethany Turner, Betsy St. Amant Haddox, Kristi Ann Hunter, Kara Isaac, Cara Putman, Courtney Walsh, Joy Massenburge, Becky Wade, Karen Barnett, Julie Lessman, Melissa Tagg, Kristin Billerbeck, Jen Turano, Rachel Hauck, Jenny B. Jones, Jenny Hale, Misty M. Beller, Regina Jennings, Jody Hedlund, and Janine Rosche!

FIND/JOIN US HERE:

💜 A Most Storied Romance Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/amoststoriedromance/

💜 A Most Storied Romance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoststoriedromance/

💜 A Most Storied Romance Monthly: https://www.subscribepage.com/amoststoriedromance

💜 A Most Storied Romance Official Website:https://amoststoriedromance.com/

 

 Check Out My 2020 Releases!

THE PROMISE OF HOPE:

“JULIE LESSMAN DOES IT AGAIN! I like to think of these novellas as her “Christmas truffles” or “Christmas fudge bites,” sweet little tidbits that leave you wanting more and yet thrilled at what you did “taste.” This time, it’s Emma and Sean’s turn. And yes, they deliver just the type of story I’ve come to expect from the venerable Ms. Lessman.” — Stephanie Mccall, author and top Amazon reviewer

“FIVE STARS IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH!” — Abigail Kranjcević, Amazon reviewer

“I LAUGHED, I CRIED, AND I SIGHED. A perfect read just in time for the Christmas season that will remind you of the One who gives each of us “the promise of hope.” — My Favorite Pastime blog

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON HERE

 

A WING AND A PRAYER:

Award-winning author, Sarah Sundin, called A Wing and a Prayer “a fun and wild ride,” so buckle up, because this is Gabe to the max! From abused orphan and feisty foster child, to sassy WASP pilot and dare-devil war correspondent, Gabriella Dawn O’Connor takes you (and the O’Connor family) on a high-flying adventure through one of the most tumultuous times in American history — the perils of WW2! Check out the video trailer and more reviews for this 5-star WW2 novel below!

VIDEO TRAILER HERE

MORE REVIEWS/BUY HERE

LOVE’S SILVER BULLET:

🤠 “I have loved Julie Lessman’s writing for years, but I can’t believe how great she writes cowboys! I love westerns and reading Julie’s version is pure fun.” —Mary Connealy, award-winning author of Brides of Hope Mountain Series

🤠 “JULIE LESSMAN + WESTERN ROMANCE = GOLD RUSH! You heard it here, folks. I think Julie Lessman was created to write westerns.” —Reading is my SuperPower Blog

🤠 “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! If you think sparks were flying in Julie Lessman’s Daughters of Boston novels, then you have GOT to get a load of her new Silver Lining Ranch” novels.” —My Favorite Pastime Blog

VIDEO TRAILER HERE

MORE REVIEWS/BUY HERE

 

🔎 Sneak Peek at my New Mystery!

Boy, am I having a good time writing my first mystery/suspense, THE SECRET OF EMERALD COTTAGE!

One of the reasons I’ve never attempted a mystery/suspense before is because frankly, I like romance, and the formula for most of the mystery/suspense I’ve read is 80% suspense, 20% romance. Whether it’s in books or Hallmark movies, the romance seems to be the stepchild, which doesn’t fly with this “Kissing Queen,” if you get my drift.

So, trust me right now when I say my mystery/suspense will be 50/50. And to prove it, I’ll be giving you a sneak-peek at the first chapter in my next Journal Jots, so make sure you’re signed up by subscribing in the “Subscribe” box at the top right-hand corner of this page to be notified via email when I post my next blog.

The fun part for me is that it will be loosely tied to the Isle of Hope series because it will take place on Lake Loon, where Chase and Cat live (the hero and heroine from book 3, His Steadfast Love), on Emerald Cottage Cove. I absolutely loved Chase’s quirky and backwoods landlady, adopted grandmother, and owner of Lake Loon, Mrs. Lillian Mariah McGill, otherwise known as Miss Lilly, so I will be revisiting her in a mystery loosely titled, The Secret of Emerald Cottage Cove. Here’s a sketchy blurb:

When international playboy and Irish soccer star Rob McGill learns he stands to inherit Lake Loon and a lakeside cottage from a great aunt who is in a coma from a drowning accident, it seems the perfect place to heal from game injuries and escape a tabloid scandal.

At thirty-three Rob is disillusioned with the game, his fiancee, and life in general, craving nothing but a little peace and solitude to get his head on straight. But when he discovers the cottage he hopes to inherit is not only inhabited by a pretty prude of a nurse, but soon by a crusty Aunt Lilly as well, his plans take a nose-dive in the lake. Because suddenly it appears not only was Aunt Lilly’s accident no accident … but apparently now somebody wants to see them all dead.

Till then, God bless!

HUGS !

Julie

 

🍁 Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #30  

 

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 10/15 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com. 
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/18 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

☘️ Hello and the “Top of the Morning” to ya (or afternoon/evening, whatever the case may be!). I’m Julie Lessman and as an Irish drama queen from a family of thirteen kids, I LOVE to write Irish family sagas—historical, contemporary, Western, suspense, you name it. My tagline is “Passion with a Purpose” because I am passionate about both God and romance, so when you have time, I invite you to browse my website and read both romantic and spiritual excerpts from my books on the EXCERPTS tab.

And speaking of books, I am giving away my first WW2 novel, A WING AND A PRAYER, which the amazing Sarah Sundin called, “a fun and wild ride!” per the reviews/endorsements below:

  

And HERE’S a sneak peek at the jacket blurb!

 She’s dead-set on giving everything to the war overseas …

Even if it means losing everything in a war of the heart.

Abused & abandoned by an alcoholic father at age five, Gabriella O’Connor has never let a man stand in her way yet. So when a handsome flight officer ruins her plans to be a Women Airforce Service Pilot, she’s bent on joining the war anyway she can, stowing away on a medical ship to the front with stolen press credentials.

Gabe’s WASP flight instructor, Lieutenant Alex Kincaid, pegs her as trouble the moment she steps foot on Avenger Field. As the eldest brother of a boy whose jaw Gabe broke in grade school, he’s more than familiar with her reputation as both a charismatic ringleader and headstrong hooligan who challenged every male and nun from grade school to college. After he expels her for a dangerous stunt, he’s shocked to run into her eight months later in France where he’s an evacuation pilot. Once again their lives intersect in the European Theater, exposing them to a danger as perilous as the war itself: a love neither expects.

You know something else I didn’t expect?

FUN WW2 FACTS THAT BLEW ME AWAY!

I never expected or dreamed that my favorite movie, Gone With the Wind, was also one of Hitler’s favorites! Well, it was, and you’ll find lots of other fun WW2 facts in A Wing and a Prayer that I’ll bet you didn’t know! Like Hitler watching Gone With the Wind in his personal theater while drinking Coca-Cola (his favorite drink, I might add), and I don’t blame him one bit because movies bring books alive!

That’s why I was over the moon when my artist hubby created a very dramatic trailer/video for A Wing and a Prayer to bring it alive for my readers. I love passion, drama, and angst in my books, and I guarantee this novel (and the video) has all of that and more!

So I hope you check it out at the links given for Julie’s Contest below, because if you do, you can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card, e-copies of any five of my indie novels, and a character named after you or a loved one in my next book and a signed paperback copy! Plus, three runners-up will receive their choice of any three of my indie e-books.

___🍂🎃🍁___

 Here’s the Stop# 30 Basics:

If you’re interested, you can order the e-book for A WING AND A PRAYER on Amazon at a 50% discount Oct. 12-19 only.

Clue to Write Down: reading!

Link to Stop #31, the Next Stop on the Loop on Lisa Bergren’s website.

 

___🍂🎃🍁___

Julie’s Contest!

But wait! Before you go, I’m offering a $25 Amazon gift card, e-copies of any five of my indie novels, and a character named after you or a loved one in my next book plus a signed paperback copy! Three runners-up will have their choice of any three of my indie e-books.

To enter, just watch the cool trailer/video for A WING AND A PRAYER and answer the question asked in the Rafflecopter box below, and you’re in! Then you can up your chances to win with extra options, so here’s the link to the trailer/video and GOOD LUCK!

A WING AND A PRAYER TRAILER/VIDEO

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 🍁 Happy Autumn!

Boy-oh-boy, do I have news for you! First of all I’ve got a new website coming, which means I’ll have a new look per the header above in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

🍁 Secondly, HUGE Contest!

WHOO-HOO, I am part of the 🍁 2020 FALL CHRISTIAN FICTION SCAVENGER HUNT 🍁 happening at the websites of 50 of your favorite CBA authors, OCT. 15-18, 2020, so mark your calendars because you do NOT want to miss this!

And guess what? There are FIVE — count ’em — FIVE grand prizes and here they are:

1st Prize: All 30 books, plus $150 Amazon gift card
2nd Prize: All 30 books, plus $100 Amazon gift card
3rd Prize: All 30 books, plus $75 Amazon gift card
4th Prize: $75 Amazon gift card
5th Prize: $50 Amazon gift card

So … how do you play? It’s easy and SO much fun!! Just hop on over to LISA BERGREN’S SCAVENGER HUNT WEBSITE to get started, okay?

BECAUSE … not only can you win one of the grand prizes above, but I am having my own contest at the same time where you can win a $25 Amazon gift card, e-copies of any five of my indie novels, and a character named after you or a loved one in my next book plus signed paperback copy! Three runners-up win choice of three of my indie e-books.

 

🍁 Thirdly, New O’Connor Christmas Novella!

🎄 WARNING: KLEENEX REQUIRED! Yes, Emma and Sean’s Christmas story is finally here, and I gotta tell ya — it’s a 5-star tearjerker!

But the good news is it’s a story of hope that I learned early in my marriage, and one that has stayed with me throughout. Not everybody experiences the pain of infertility like Emma does in this story (and I did in my own life), but the message of hope within is universal.

Now you can read “A PROMISE OF HOPE” FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED, but make sure you have handy because as one sweet Amazon reviewer put it (thank you, Abigail! ♥️), “it will break your heart and put it back together again. Five stars is simply not enough!”  Here’s the blurb:

She’s a woman of deep faith,
Till one careless comment steals it away.
He’s a man of deep joy,
Till his wife’s pain takes it away.
Fortunately they serve a God of deep love,
Whose promise of hope brings blessings to stay.

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON HERE

 

🍁 Fourthly, BIG Sale!

AND … BECAUSE OF THE SCAVENGER HUNT … I am also running a rare 50%-off sale on a new release, which I almost never do, so take advantage!

For one week — OCT. 13-19 — my WW2 novel, A WING AND A PRAYER will be half off at $2.99, so I would LOVE for you to spread the word!

AND … if you do, there are extra points available in my personal Rafflecopter Scavenger Hunt Contest if you promote via Facebook and Twitter, so I hope you accrue those extra points too!

Award-winning author, Sarah Sundin, called A Wing and a Prayer “a fun and wild ride,” so buckle up, because this is Gabe to the max! From abused orphan and feisty foster child, to sassy WASP pilot and dare-devil war correspondent, Gabriella Dawn O’Connor takes you (and the O’Connor family) on a high-flying adventure through one of the most tumultuous times in American history — the perils of WW2! Check out the video trailer and more reviews for this 5-star WW2 novel below!