AH … THANKSGIVING!

One of my favorite times of the year, not only because of family, fun, and feasting on turkey and dressing, but because it reminds me to thank God for all of His blessings.

As many of you know, I am having so much fun writing Gabe’s book, A Wing and a Prayer (which is oddly appropriate for Thanksgiving with the words “wing” and “prayer”), that I amost don’t want to do anything else but write. But since Thanksgiving is when I put up my Christmas decorations, yesterday I decided to put the computer away for the day to devote myself to church and getting ready for Christmas. It was a chilly November day, so Keith was going to build me a cozy wood fire while I decorated the tree, watched Hallmark Christmas movies, and made a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s for just him and me.

Sheer heaven!

Or would have been if not for one thing. First thing in the morning, I remembered I needed to send out an e-blast to my newsletter subscribers, telling them about some last-minute freebies beginning this week, so I spent the morning doing that before church and after. By the time we ate lunch, I needed to put the turkey on, so I did, and all at once I noticed what a mess my house was, with a dirty kitchen and boxes of Christmas decorations piled here and there. Add to that bad news we received about someone we loved and a phone call from my daughter asking for prayers for her dog who had a fever and ten new puppies who were suddenly losing weight, and what should have been an absolutely wonderfully fun and relaxing day became strained and overwhelming, with more stress radiating from me than heat from the fire.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

–John 10:10

“Julie, why are you letting this ruin your day?” Keith gently asked, wrapping me in a tight hug, and all at once I realized just how many times the devil tries to steal the joy of God’s blessings. He does it to me all the time, and I’ll just bet he does it to you, too, especially during a busy week like Thanksgiving. But I wasn’t about to let him do it yesterday — the very first day of Thanksgiving week! So instead of listening to the father of lies, I decided right then and there to listen to God:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I cannot express just HOW MUCH joy I get stomping on the devil’s head by praising God in the midst of bad circumstances and thanking Jesus for all He has done. Not only in dying for our salvation, but to give us life “to the full” with blessings galore. And just why would He do that? Because He CARES about us, people!

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

— 1 Peter 5:7

So this week if and when satan tries to steal your joy and blessings, I challenge you (and myself) to grind him into the dust by praising and thanking the only One whose love never fails. Because if you do, I promise you — it will be a Thanksgiving like no other.

Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving.

Julie

P.S. Guess what? I spent two hours working on this blog and right when I finished, I lost it all due to a computer glitch. Yep, you guessed it — I praised God to the high heavens and thanked him like crazy. Then I fixed myself some chamomille and pepperment tea (calming teas) and wrote it all over again.

Take that, you lousy devil! 👍 😜

🗓 THEN … Be sure to mark your calendar for these freebies & giveaways!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted some way to say “thank you” for all of your support and prayers, so if you haven’t read the following two books of mine, you’ll want to be sure to download them FREE during the dates listed below.

November 22-24, 2018*

 *Note: Due to a snafu on Kindle Amazon, The Best Gift of All freebie now begins on 11/22. I apologize for any inconvenience.

 
(Free Download of The Best Gift of All

December 9-13, 2018: 
Free Download of Isle of Hope

Win E-Reader & 21 Books!

Four of my Christmas Books
in One — Just 99 Cents!

CLICK HERE FOR
A CHRISTMAS STOCKING BUNDLE

“My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet.”

– Edith Wharton

🐶 A Bunch of Puppies!

OH MY, do I relate to our header quote this week!

You see, I have had ELEVEN “heartbeats” at my feet this week, and it has been sooooo much fun!

How? Well, my grand-dog Bootsy (a wire-haired pointing griffon) had TEN puppies eight days ago, so you might say I’ve fallen in love ten times over this week alone! According to research, puppies and dogs are so therapeutic, that they utilize them to lift the spirits of the elderly, shut-ins, sick people, and prisoners. And although I’m only one of those (no comment on which one), I can certainly attest to that. So, I thought it would be fun to show you a few pics from my week in Birmingham that included LOTS of puppies, a birthday celebration for me, my SIL (same day!) and my daughter (1 week later), AND a really cool Sunday service my daughter’s church, Church of the Highlands, does called “At the Movies.”

The “At the Movies” concept is where the pastor teaches a sermon based on clips from a particular movie, and honestly, it’s one of the BEST ways to do church, in my opinion. The first time I saw one of the Highlands’ “At the Movies” sermons, I silently sobbed on Keith’s chest a good part of the movie because it hit me so very hard regarding my own father. That sermon was based on the movie Saving Mr. Banks, which is about Walt Disney trying to convince the woman who wrote Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (who had a dysfunctional relationship with her own father just like I did) to allow Walt Disney to make a musical out of Mary Poppins. WOW … talk about a POWERFUL means of conveying a spiritual message! And I’d give you the sermon link, but unfortunately The Highlands cannot post the video of the movie sermon on their website due to copyright restrictions. 😢

🎁  A Bunch of my Christmas Books!

Okay … Not as cute as a bunch of puppies, maybe, but for those who love romantic, family-oriented Christmas stories, a bundle of books for only 99 cents may be just the ticket!

So, if you haven’t read ANY of my Christmas stories — whether my award-winning novel, A Light in the Window, or my three Christmas novellas, A Whisper of Hope, The Best Gift of All, or The Gift of Grace — now’s your chance!

Think of it — FOUR BOOKS FOR ONLY 99 CENTS TOTAL! So, here’s the link where you can read a short jacket blurb about each of the books:

A CHRISTMAS STOCKING BUNDLE

And to get you in the mood to read Marcy and Patrick’s love story prequel for the first time or even again, here’s the video my husband made for that book with my daughter as the model:

📕 A Bunch of Books by a Bunch of Authors!

Have you seen this awesome giveaway from BookSweeps? You can win a signed paperback copy of my book A LIGHT IN THE WIND, plus books from authors like Suzanne Woods Fisher, Natalie Dean, Wanda Brunstetter and others.

PLUS … you’ll also get a brand new eReader if you win, just for following me and other great Christian & Inspirational authors on BookBub. This giveaway ends soon, so make sure you hurry and enter!  Good luck! 

Join the fun here! 👉 http://bit.ly/christianinspy-nov2018

🎁  A Bunch of Authors & Giveaways!

DECEMBER 1-12, you not only will have the opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit with 12 fun Facebook Live chats with 12 of your favorite authors … BUT, you will also be eligible to win a book by each of the authors PLUS a $150 GIFT CARD! So, here’s the schedule — hope to see you there!

12/1, 2 PM EST — Cara Putman
12/2, 4 PM EST — Deb Raney
12/3, 2 PM EST — Robin Lee Hatcher
12/4, Time TBA — Colleen Coble
12/5, 8 PM EST — Tamera Alexander
12/6, 9 PM EST — Becky Wade
12/7, 2 PM EST — Rachel Hauck
12/8, 1 PM EST — Denise Hunter
12/9, 6 PM EST — Katherine Reay
12/10, Time TBA — Beth Vogt
12/11, 2 PM EST — Hannah Alexander
12/12, 2 PM EST — Julie Lessman

🎁  A Bunch of Giveaways!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, I invite you to join me for a chat on the ACFW Book Club loop, where I will be giving away FIVE COPIES OF A DREAM FULFILLED! The ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) book club has an email group that allows readers and authors to discuss books of ACFW members such as myself.

Book Club participants are invited to join an e-mail group set up to facilitate announcements and host discussions about the current reading selection. Members will be eligible for monthly free book drawings.

To join, send a blank e-mail to acfwbookclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit groups.yahoo.com/group/acfwbookclub and click “join this group.” You will receive a confirmation e-mail after joining. Follow the instructions given in the e-mail to complete your subscription to this e-mail list.

Then all you have to do to be eligible to win one of five copies of A Dream Fulfilled is show up on the 6th is to participate in my chat when you receive the email from ACFW Book Club, responding with an email of your own. A comment automatically enters you to win, so GOOD LUCK and hope to see you there!

✅  A Bunch of Reviews!

Okay, everyone! I have a favor to ask. If you have read A Dream Fulfilled and liked it, would you consider posting a review on Amazon for me? All it takes is posting a BRIEF review (1 or 2 lines would do it, just saying you liked it if you did). And if you do, please let me know so I can personally thank you, okay?

Most people don’t realize how critical good reviews are to authors, but so many potential readers base their book-buying decisions on the number of good reviews posted, so that’s the best way to bless an author you like. Especially on indie books like A Dream Fulfilled, where I don’t have a big publisher promoting it. Just little ol’ me! Think of it this way — the more good reviews, the more sales, and the more sales, the more books I can write, okay? 😍 THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! ❤️

HUGS and HAPPY WINNING!

Julie

🤫 Gentle Reminder! 

Sales, free download, new releases, and 5 chances to win  

A Dream Fulfilled from my most recent Facebook Live!

Hey, guys, just a quick reminder about some fun things going on right now so you don’t miss out! I’m giving LOTS of e-books away, so check it out below!

📕 Christmas Freebie for 5 Days Only!

Starting OCTOBER 19-23,  A Whisper of Hope—Charity and Mitch’s Christmas novella—will be available for FREE DOWNLOAD! Here’s the jacket blurb and link, so I hope you check it out:

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, is it enough to find a precious bundle under her tree?

A WHISPER OF HOPE

📹 5 Giveaway Copies of A Dream Fulfilled during Facebook Live!

I’m giving away 5 copies of my latest release, A Dream Fulfilled (Katie & Luke’s Christmas short novel), chosen from those who comment on my most recent Facebook Live below. Giveaways will be announced next week, so there’s plenty of time to enter. Or winners can choose their choice of any of my other indie e-books.

This Facebook Live is part 3 of my video series, NOVEL INSPIRATIONS, a series of life lessons I put into my books and the topic is: Conversation with an Atheist. So come on over, leave a comment, and you’re in the draw! Good luck!

🎁  A Bundle of Hope for Christmas!

ISLE OF HOPE BEACH BUNDLE

 📝 Attention Writers!

For all you aspiring writers, here is a brand-new writer’s how-to book you are NOT going to want to miss! I am part of this very unique writer’s book called WRITING FROM THE TRENCHES: Tips & Techniques From Ten Award-Winning Authors, where you literally get to pick the brains of award-winning authors about everything from writing to publishing to marketing! That way, you get ten viewpoints on what has worked best for each of us in becoming a published author. The book is available in e-book or paperback, so I hope you check it out.

WRITING FROM THE TRENCHES:

Tips & Techniques from Ten Award-Winning Authors

Hugs and Happy Weekend!

Julie