“Forgiveness is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves.”

—Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

Happy Summer, Everyone!

Hope you all are having a good one, but, WHEW! Where does the time go? Cannot believe summer is almost half over — YIKES!

I’ve been busy putting a proposal together for my upcoming O’Connor Cousins series starting with Gabe’s story, and WHOA, my head is spinning from doing research!

Most of the book takes place in England and France during WW2 and the hero is a aeromedical evacuation pilot while Gabe is a WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilot) who ends up as a foreign war correspondent.

So, between military terms, medical terms, and getting the plot aligned properly with history, I have spent an entire month researching, which is more than I have spent on ALL of my other 21 books put together!! I’ll tell you what — it sure gives me a WHOLE new appreciation for amazing Christian WW2 authors like Sarah Sundin, Cathy Gohlke, and Cara Putman.

Here’s a sneak peek at Book 1 in my Days of Thunder Series, A Wing and a Prayer:

 ONE-LINE PREMISE

Book 1 in the Days of Thunder Series

A Wing and a Prayer

From WASP to war correspondent,

a charismatic troublemaker flies high in the war effort of WWII

until a no-nonsense flight officer clips both her wings and her heart.

 

JACKET BLURB

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

Even if she loses everything in a war of the heart.

A street orphan abused and abandoned by an alcoholic father at age five, Gabe O’Connor has never let a man stand in her way yet. So when a handsome flight officer thwarts her plans to become a Women Airforce Service Pilot, she’s determined to join the war effort anyway she can. Her chance comes when she reads about a war correspondent who sneaks on a medical ship to reach the front. As the adopted daughter of the Boston Herald’s editor, Gabe plots to do the same, hoping to report on Operation Overlord (D-Day) by “borrowing” foreign correspondent credentials from the Herald. Stowing away on the medical ship that is transporting her cousin Hope Dennehy to England as a nurse with the Army Nurse Corp, Gabe manages to charm everyone she meets … except the one officer she longs to win over the most.

Lieutenant Reece Kincaid pegs Gabe O’Connor as trouble the moment she steps foot on Avenger Field. As the eldest brother of a boy whose jaw Gabe broke in grade school, Reece is familiar with her reputation as both a charismatic ringleader and a headstrong hooligan who’s challenged every male and nun from grade school to college. Assigned as her WASP flight instructor, Reece keeps a tight rein, even attempting to forge a friendship rooted in God. But when Gabe mistakes his friendship for more, Reece’s rejection kindles her ire, resulting in her expulsion when she pulls a dangerous stunt against Reece’s orders.

As an aeromedical evacuation pilot in France eight months later, Reece is stunned to run into Gabe again, especially when he learns she is posing as a foreign correspondent under a fraudulent name. She charms his fellow pilot and friend Zach into flying her to Paris to cover its liberation, where Zach is not only wounded, but now facing a possible court martial. Hoping to protect Zach from Gabe and Gabe from herself, Reece makes a deal that inadvertently lands both Gabe and him behind enemy lines, exposing them to a danger as perilous as the German tanks roaming the Reichswald Forest—a love that neither expects.

So, prayers greatly appreciated for this project! THANK YOU!

 

📹 My Most Recent Facebook Live!

 

If you didn’t have a chance to see Part 2 of my new video series, NOVEL INSPIRATIONS, a series of life lessons I learned the hard way and put into each of my books, now’s your chance! The subject is our header quote above:

“Forgiveness is the greatest gift

we can give to ourselves.”

Check it out below!

 

 

📕 99-Cent 3-Book Bundle Ends Soon!

In honor of summer, I am currently offering my Isle of Hope Beach Bundle Collection for only $ .99, so you will never get a better deal than this for the perfect 5-star beach read! That’s THREE 5-STAR BOOKS FOR ONLY 99 CENTS, but the deal ends this weekend, so don’t miss out!

And I need your help!

If you have already read the Isle of Hope trilogy and posted a review for any of them on Amazon, can I ask you to please repost that review on my Isle of Hope Beach Bundle Collection?

Since it’s technically a new book, there were no reviews until one person posted a one-star review due to “sexual desire” in the book and language (I used the word “freak” once in the book, as in “what the freak happened to my Red Bull?”).

Unfortunately, this happened the same day I was running a very expensive Book Bub special, so I have no doubt that one-star negatively affected my sales (I sure wouldn’t buy a book that only had one review — a one star — would you?). I did pray for the reviewer, of course, and then asked people who had posted reviews for the three books to repost those reviews or a short review on the bundle, which has helped greatly.

But … I sure could use some more help! So if you have read any of the Isle of Hope books, would you consider posting a brief review that can be as short as 1 or 2 lines, stating which book(s) you read and that you liked it (them) if you did? That would be a tremendous help to me, so thank you SO much!

And MEGA HUGS to those of you who have already posted reviews on the bundle — I know who you are — and I am sooooo very grateful for you taking the time to do that! God bless you!

Hugs and HAPPY SUMMER!

Julie

If my people, who are called by my name,

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven,

and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

— 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY WEEK, EVERYONE! 

I absolutely LOVE our Indepedence Day, but I have to admit that the incivility raging in our country today scares me more than a little, because more and more, it doesn’t reflect the America we all know and love.

Which only serves to remind us that as Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for our country and our leaders for wisdom, grace, direction, and strength. I can think of no better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than stopping for a moment and praying for our country, our president, our Congress, our judicial branch, and all of our people.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned to you all that I have a bit of a temper to you, and my “hot button” is discourtesy and rudeness — I go crazy whenever I see it. Which doesn’t always bode well for this CDQ during this current climate of incivility. I am ashamed to admit that, yes, I have been known to scream at the TV upon provocation, much to my sweet husband’s angst, but I am working on it. And the Scripture that popped up in my devotional this morning pretty much nailed me to the wall:

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,

and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. — Luke 6:45

Oh, sweet mother of mercy, the very last thing I want to have clogging up my heart is the very incivility that I disdain, so I am working really hard to curtail it. I am a HUGE believer in praying for those who persecute you, so that’s already covered in my life because I pray for every single person who trips my ire. Uh … after I spout off, that is, so that has to change too. And it will because as a child of God, I have access to His grace.

America is full of God’s grace, so His people have to be full of His grace, too, with a purity of heart that contains no malice, no anger, no bitterness. So not only am I praying for America this Fourth of July, but for myself and for all of us, that we can bring a smile to God’s face by choosing His way instead of the world’s. And to pray for those who don’t always agree with us as well as those who don’t fully realize just how great this country is and how blessed we are to live here.

So celebrate this important holiday with me by joining in on prayers for God to heal our country — a country that our Pledge of Allegiance so aptly proclaims to be “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Whether you say a quick prayer on your own, or whether you choose to pray the “Prayer for America” at Crosswalk.com, which also includes “20 Verses of Hope” for our country, don’t let this moment — or this holiday — pass without thanking God for the blessing of our country — the greatest country on earth!

Hugs and Happy 4th of July!

Julie

 

🇺🇸 4th of July Free Download!

IN HONOR OF INDEPENDENCE DAY … I decided it would be fitting (and fun) to do a freebie on For Love of Liberty, whose them is, ironically, “True liberty is doing the right thing.” So if you haven’t read it yet, now is your chance because the e-book will be available for FREE DOWNLOAD starting tomorrow, 4th of July through Sunday, July 8th. Happy Reading and Happy 4th!

 

📕 Blog Giveways!

AND … NOW’S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF LOVE’S EVERLASTING TOO!

  All you have to do is leave a comment on every blog in my blog tour, and you have 8 CHANCES TO WIN! So, here’s the link, and GOOD LUCK!

BLOG TOUR FOR LOVE’S SILVER LINING

 

 

 

 

 

 

📕 Three Books for 99 Cents!

HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE … and to prove it, I will be offering my Isle of Hope Beach Bundle Collection for only $ .99, so you will never get a better deal than this for the perfect 5-star beach read! That’s THREE 5-STAR BOOKS FOR ONLY 99 CENTS, so mark your calendars for July 20-31 and HAPPY READING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

📕 Video Interview!

Hey, guys, I did a fun interview with Candy Harris of Literary Candy, so I hope you check it out below!

 

 

 

🎧 Marcy & Patrick on Audio!

OH MY GOODNESS!

I cannot WAIT to hear A Light in the Window on audio! I have to admit, I always have a bit of a problem with the narrators since I have my own ideas of how Marcy and Patrick sound (or Steven or Annie in the audio version of A Love Surrendered), but I have to say that after a few chapters, I am SO into the story!!  PLUS it’s a great way to pass the time while driving in a car … OR while cleaning, taking a walk, working in the yard, wherever! 🙂

So … if you are into audio books, I hope you will consider giving A Light in the Window a chance too. I know I am—soon!

 

A Light in the Window

 

 

🗓 And Finally …

 

Are you ready for Part 2 of my new video series called NOVEL INSPIRATIONS, a series of life lessons I learned the hard way and put into each of my books? I hope so because it should be a lot of fun.

I hope you will join me on Julie’s Facebook Author Page on THURSDAY, JULY 26 for LOTS OF PERSONAL STORIES, INSPIRATION, AND PRIZES. Hope to see you there and don’t forget to …

 

              Mark Your Calendar!

 

  ✓ 🗓 ✓

“One never knows what one will do

given the weight of circumstances beyond our control,

which is why the grace of God—and His forgiveness—are as vital as air.”

—Isle of Hope: Unfailing Love

Boy, isn’t that the truth?

That’s a lesson I learned the hard way as a teenager who criticized her older sister for being “wild.” And then a few years later, I turned right around and did a whole lot worse than she did.

It didn’t take too long—the age of 23 when I came to Christ—to figure out that both the grace of God and His forgiveness were crucial to my well-being.

You know, I think I was always meant to be a writer, not only because I love it so much, but because at the ripe, old age of 67, I have TONS of material based on the many mistakes I’ve made over the years, many of which I’ve subjected my characters to in my books.

Which brings me to my latest Facebook Live that I videoed last Friday, where I introduced a new video series I am doing called “Novel Inspirations.” I’m pretty excited about it because I really feel it’s something God wants me to do, so I plan to talk each time about a different spiritual lesson I’ve learned and how I implemented it into a book.

Last week’s “Novel Inspiration” was on the theme from For Love of Liberty, which is “true liberty is doing the right thing.” I start out reading an excerpt from the book that depicts the spiritual lesson, then I end up telling how God taught me the same lesson. I like to think of it as the Julie Lessman School of Hard Knocks, video-style.

So, if you are interested in taking a peek, I’ve included the actual video below. And good news! I haven’t picked a winner yet for the book giveaway, which will be winner’s choice of any of my indie books: either choice of 2 e-books or one paperback,  so you still have a chance to enter until Wednesday, May 30th by leaving a comment. Come on by and GOOD LUCK!

 

 

📕 Facebook Flash Giveaway!

Oh, you are going to LOVE this giveaway!!

Because I am fortunate enough to be good friends with both Becky Wade and Denise Hunter, I am hosting two Facebook Flash Giveaways where you can win a signed paperback copy of either Becky’s or Denise’s latest release, so mark your calender for the dates below. All you have to do is leave a comment on my Facebook Author Page anytime during the specified day, and you will be in the draw to win! GOOD LUCK!

BECKY WADE FACEBOOK FLASH GIVEAWAY:

WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 2018

WHERE:  Julie’s Facebook Author Page

PRIZE: Signed copy of Falling for You

BLURB: Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family’s small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin–and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he’s never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he’s determined to make her give him a second chance.

When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they’re forced to confront their past and who they’ve become–and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

 ***

DENISE HUNTER’S FACEBOOK FLASH GIVEAWAY:

WHEN: Thursday, May 31, 2018

WHERE:  Julie’s Facebook Author Page

PRIZE: Signed copy of Honeysuckle Dreams

BLURB:  After Brady Collins’ ex-wife dies, he receives devastating news—his nine-month-old son Sam isn’t his son at all. And Sam’s wealthy maternal grandparents want custody of the child. Brady knows he’s in for the fight of his life. But regardless of what any blood test says, Sam is his son, and Brady will go to any lengths to keep him.

🌤 Love’s Silver Lining Releases!

WHOO-HOO!! Book 1 in my Silver Lining Ranch Series, Love’s Silver Lining, just released last week, so I hope you’ve had a chance to read it.

If you have and liked it, can I ask a favor? Would you consider posting a brief (1- or 2-line) review on Amazon saying that you did? Then please let me know so I can personally thank you, okay?

Most people don’t realize how critical good reviews are to authors, especially on indie books like Love’s Silver Lining that don’t have a big publisher promoting them. But the truth is that so many potential readers base their book-buying decisions on the number of good reviews posted, that that’s the best way to bless an author you like. Here’s the blurb:

 

 

 

🇺🇸 50% Sale on Liberty!

 “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

Okay, people, if you haven’t had the chance to read my 5-star prequel novel, For Love of Liberty yet, NOW is your chance!

In honor of the release of Love’s Silver Lining, I am cutting Liberty’s price in half because you really should read Liberty’s story before you forge into Love’s Silver Lining.

Why? Well, you know how I like all my novels in a series to connect, and it’s no different with the Silver Lining Ranch Series, so I hope you will take advantage of this sale to start at the very beginning!

A VERY good place to start! 😍

A Match Made in Heaven?
Or Someplace a Whole Lot Warmer?

She’s stubborn, educated, and looking
to give women the vote.
He’s bullheaded, successful, and looking
to give her a piece of his mind.
But when things heat up, they just may give each other
a piece of their hearts.