Journal Jots – Blog

“Bitterness is a cancer, Lace, and in my world,

if someone really and truly loves someone, why on earth

would they feed that bitterness and help it to grow?”

— A Glimmer of Hope by Julie Lessman

YES, it’s true … there is NOW a  prequel to Isle of Hope! And guess what? It’s on presale right now for only 99 cents, 66% less than it will be on release day, March 1st, so PLEASE take advantage, my friends, because I did that especially for YOU!

Since I promised a sneak peek at the first chapter, I am including that below, but please keep in mind that the sweet, godly heroine you know from Isle of Hope was once a bad girl, so this story is about Lacey B.C. (before Christ reallllly got a hold of her heart). I will admit it was pretty difficult to make Lacey likable as a bad girl, but hopefully I accomplished that. However, even if I didn’t, I’m praying the first chapter of Isle of Hope — which I am including at the end of the novella — will do the trick.

So, the first chapter is at the end of this blog, and please cut Lacey some slack, okay? Because frankly that was ME before I came to Christ, which just proves what a miracle worker Jesus Christ is, right? 😉

Hugs and HAPPY WEEKEND!

Julie

❤️❤️❤️ VALENTINE GIVEAWAYS GALORE!!❤️❤️❤️

FEBRUARY 1, 2016:  Join me on Keiki Hendrix’s  Vessel Project blog, where I will kick off a month of LOVE LETTERS TO THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE. Various authors will be featured every day of the month of February, each posting a love letter to their husband or significant other. So come by on FEBRUARY 1st to leave a comment on my “Love Letter” blog, and you’ll be entered for an ecopy of Isle of Hope or an early ecopy of A Glimmer of Hope. Winner announced on my Journal Jot blog on Friday, February 5th.

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2016 — BOOK LOVERS GIVEAWAY! 

How would you like to win TWELVE novels from TOP authors in the CBA?? Well you can, and all you have to do is click on the link below and enter to win — TWELVE BOOKS — one from each of the following authors:

Hannah Alexander, Tamera Alexander, Colleen Coble, Robin Lee Hatcher, Rachel Hauck, Denise Hunter, Julie Lessman, Cara Putman, Deborah Raney, Beth Vogt, Becky Wade, Susan May Warren

SO … ON FEBRUARY 7TH, COME ON BY TO CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW AND GOOD LUCK!!

BOOK LOVERS GIVEAWAY

(LINK TO COME)

FEBRUARY 10-29, 2016: “IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE” TREASURE HUNT! 

Welcome to the “IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE” treasure hunt where MaryLu Tyndall, Debblie Lynne Costello and and I are celebrating the release of our latest books with some fabulous prizes, including a Kindle Fire, Amazon gift cards, gift baskets, and books galore! 

JUST VISIT EACH OF OUR BLOGS ON THE SCHEDULED DATES BELOW FOR RULES AND TREASURE HUNT CLUES! 

Debbie Lynne Costello

Julie Lessman

MaryLu Tyndall

TREASURE HUNT SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Friday, February 12, 2016

Friday, February 19, 2016

Friday, February 26, 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Friday, March 4, 2016 — Winner’s Announced

AND NOW … THE FIRST CHAPTER OF:

A Glimmer of Hope

By Julie Lessman

For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:11

Chapter One

Isle of Hope, Georgia, Spring 2007

“Come on, Lace, I dare you.”

Eighteen-year-old Lacey Carmichael glanced up in the bathroom mirror through red-rimmed eyes, her cousin Nicki propped against the door behind her with a threatening fold of arms. The challenge in Nicki’s hazel eyes was as potent as the bottle of Jack Daniels peeking out of her purse. With a ghost of a sigh, Lacey’s swollen lids flickered closed, her gut instinct to tell Nicki no. The last thing she wanted was to go to a party, especially one given by heartthrob bad boy, Royce Barrister, who didn’t take “no” for an answer. At least when it came to Lacey.

Not unlike Nicki.

“Just look at yourself—blotchy face, red eyes, and a face so pitiful, you look like you just lost your best friend.”

A heave caught in Lacey’s throat. That’s because I did …

Nicki stamped her foot. “For crying out loud, Carmichael, get a grip! Jack O’Bryen is not worth it. I could maybe see you blubbering over somebody like his cousin because let’s face it, Matt Ball is flat-out hot, but his preacher-boy cousin? No way, so I think this could be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

The best thing that’s ever happened to me? The heave in Lacey’s throat bullied its way into a choked sob, slumping her shoulders as she put a quivering hand to her eyes. That would be Jack.

But it sure isn’t me for him.

At least, according to Daddy.

“Aw, Lace …” Nicki hugged her from behind, sweeping Lacey’s long blonde hair aside to rest her chin on her shoulder. “I know you’ve been over the moon for Jack forever, but you can’t let him run your life, sweetie, which is what he’s trying to do. You need a boyfriend, not a minister, always badgering you to do what he wants you to do.”

“What’s going on, Lacey?” Jack’s voice came back to haunt, their argument a painful reminder that she’d just broken up with the guy she’d been crazy about since the age of twelve. “Jess said Barrister was all over you at that party last week, and it’s gotta stop, Lace, or else …”  

Or else. A single tear slid down her face to well in the corner of her lips, the taste salty like all the tears she’d wept in Jack’s arms the last two years after she and Daddy had fought. Only these tears belonged to sweet, level-headed Jack O’Bryen, who had given her an ultimatum that all but guaranteed “or else.” She blinked in the mirror, barely seeing her tear-stained face for the resistance roiling in her mind. He, better than anyone, should have known ultimatums always triggered her temper, detonating that streak of rebellion she usually reserved for her father.

“Or-else?” she had bit out in a tone as threatening as Jack’s, “or else what, Brye? I already have one father trying to control my life—you trying to make it two?”

“You’re my freakin’ girlfriend,” Jack shot back, the hint of temper in his voice matching her own, “I should be the only guy hanging all over you and nobody else.”

“Yeah, but that’s just it, Jack, you never do. You’re too busy protecting your own precious virtue to worry about mine.” Her jibe had been almost a hiss, still ticked that he’d put her off his last time home, when all she wanted was to give him her love. Well, Royce Barrister sure wouldn’t turn her down, and Jack needed to know that. Needed to know she was desperate for love from a man who actually cared.

Because Daddy sure didn’t.

“Come on, Lace,” Nicki whispered, jolting Lacey back to the present when she squeezed her in a side hug. Her hazel eyes pleaded in the mirror. “Royce Barrister is crazy about you, and most girls would kill to go out with him, so this is your chance.” Nicki’s lower lip protruded in that pouty look she always used to get Lacey to see things her way. “And I promise, if you’re still hung up on Jack after that, then I will personally call him to plead your case, telling him I was to blame for leading you astray.”

A shadow of a smile hovered over Lacey’s lips. “He already knows that. I sure never went to any parties before you moved to Isle of Hope.”

Nicki’s chin nudged up. “And never had any fun either. Not with some stuffy preacher’s kid, who only gives you a peck on the cheek and calls it a kiss.”

“Knock it off, Nick,” Lacey countered, wondering why in the world she was defending a boyfriend whose prudish notions were holding their relationship back. “Jack kisses way more than my cheeks, and you know it.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” Nicki’s short punky curls wagged back and forth as she bobbed in time. “On your forehead … on your nose … on your hair …”

Lacey finally chuckled, shaking her head. “I’ll have you know, Nicolette Phillips, that Jack O’Bryen’s kisses are deadly, melting me into a puddle every time he lets himself go.”

The smile on Nicki’s face faded. “But that’s just it, Lace, he never does, does he?” Sympathy softened her tone. “He’s too busy saving himself for God while his girlfriend is starving for love.”

“I am not starving for love—”

Nicki arched a brow, and Lacey puffed out a sigh, slumping in the mirror. The truth was Nicki was right—she was starving for love. Yes, she and her mother were close when bouts of depression didn’t drag Mom down. But as far as having the love of a father that every little girl craved? Lacey was an emotional anorexic, starving for the love of a male figure that cherished her, thought she was pretty, wanted to love her, protect her. A glaze of saltwater welled in her eyes, and she quickly blinked it away. All Daddy ever wanted to do was berate and belittle her, making her feel like she was worth nothing at all.

 “Don’t think you’re anything special. Any street walker can get ’em excited.”

Her jaw automatically hardened at Daddy’s favorite phrase, and bitterness coursed through her bloodstream like adrenalin because it wasn’t true—she was special. At least to Jack. She closed her eyes to ward off another sheen of moisture. Jack was the only one who made her feel that way, like she was worth loving at all. But even he couldn’t fully understand why she needed so much of his love. His was a loving family, where laughter and encouragement were as common as air, so he didn’t know the type of emptiness she felt in her soul. The hurt. The rejection.

As a daughter.

As a woman.

“Wipe that black stuff off your eyes—you look like a whore.”

She squeezed her eyes tight, unwilling to let any tears fall over a father who had already bled her heart dry. No, as kind and sweet as Jack was, he couldn’t possibly comprehend why she craved his affection to the extent that she did. Which hurt all the more when the boyfriend who claimed to love her refused the closeness she needed to feel that love.

Nicky gently turned Lacey around, compassion etched into every pore of her cousin’s face. “Look, Lace, Jack loves you, we all know that. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on his way home right now after your fight despite the fact he has finals next week. But the truth is he needs a wake-up call, and going with me to Royce’s party tonight could do the trick.” She ducked her head, peering up with soulful eyes. “He’s already jealous of Royce, so why not use it to your advantage? You do want Jack to commit to you, don’t you?”

Lacey nodded, chewing on the edge of her lip. Of course she wanted Jack to commit—body as well as soul—because that would bond them together, proving he loved her, wanted her.

Wouldn’t it?

 “Well …” Nicki moved around to plop her purse on the bathroom counter, yanking out the bottle of Jack Daniels to retrieve her makeup bag. She shoved the bag at Lacey with a slant of a smile. “Then I suggest we try a new tactic, kiddo, because you’ve been trying to light a fire under Jack O’Bryen since I came home, so whatever you’re doing obviously isn’t working, agreed?”

Sucking in a shaky breath, Lacey released it again in a show of consent, well aware she needed a little more than pouts and peach bath oil—Jack’s favorite—to make her his girl all the way. “Agreed.”

“Well then, I say we take advantage of this breakup, which we both know won’t last, right?”

A tiny grin tickled the edge of Lacey’s lips. Because heaven knows if two people were ever crazy about each other, it was Jack and her, and although Lacey’s temper always prodded their breakups, they both knew it wouldn’t last. From his very first kiss on her sixteenth birthday, they’d known they were soul mates forever. Now … all she needed was the commitment to go along with it …

Nicky stashed the Jack Daniels deep in her sack purse and headed for the door. “So get dolled up and let Royce Barrister fawn all over you tonight, because when his cousin runs back to tell Jack he could really lose you this time, I think jealousy is gonna build a bonfire under our boy like you have never seen.”

 “You think?” Lacey nibbled a piece of dead skin at the edge of her smile, biting it clean through.

“Oh, honey—I know.” Nicki opened the door and gave her cousin a knowing wink. “And I can smell the lighter fluid right now …”

PREORDER 

 A GLIMMER OF HOPE

  HERE

FOR ONLY 99 CENTS,

66% OFF THE RELEASE-DAY PRICE.

“Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity.”

— Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

And, boy, oh boy, have I had a growth spurt this week! 😉

As an extremely wired CDQ (caffeinated drama queen), I used to get pretty anxious about a lot of things, but my faith in God has really help temper most of it over the years, thank God. And then, of course, the spiritual sabbatical I took in 2014 reallllllly helped to mellow me out … uh, at least as mellow as a CDQ can be!

But this week, if I must say so myself, I grew A LOT! So when I read the above quote in my daily devotional one morning, I had no idea just how true it would be.

You see, I have just finished writing A Glimmer of Hope, the prequel novella for an Isle of Hope, and I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about it. I hope to release it February 14 and post the first chapter and cover next week, God willing, so be sure to stop by then. But this week I wanted to tell you just how that novella helped me to grow, not only in my faith, but in my my hope.

For those of you who have already read Isle of Hope, you know that it’s a story about a woman who returns home after eight years to make amends to the father she defied, the boyfriend she deserted, and the best friend she denied. Only this time, the tables are turned because now she’s the Christian and her ex-boyfriend is the bad boy. Here’s the jacket blurb:

Can a wild girl gone good

rebuild bridges with a good boy gone bad? 

She’s the town flirt serving up trouble.

He’s a pastor’s kid bent on serving God.

Until tragedy separates them for eight years,

turning tables—and hearts—

to restore hope for them all.

In many ways, the prequel was a bit difficult to write because the reformed heroine in Isle of Hope was easy to like, but to show her before God got a hold of her wasn’t easy. But it was definitely therapeutic to explore that aspect of Lacey Carmichael because in so many ways her wild-child life mirrored by own before Christ.

Now, A Glimmer of Hope is actually what is referred to as a “teaser” novella, which basically means I’ve given the readers a taste of Jack and Lacey in the past to hopefully motivate them to read about this couple’s future in Isle of Hope. That said, this prequel novella is very important to me because if new readers don’t like Lacey (I already know they’re gonna love Jack! ;)), they may not want to go on to read Isle of Hope. 

Enter the “anixous” …

Now I’m reallllly thrilled to say that so far, Isle of Hope has gotten some amazing reviews and currently has a 5-star rating on Amazon with 94 reviews. But … as we all know in this biz, you can’t please everybody, so the three “not-so-good” reviews I got put a bit of a blip in my perspective, mainly because two of them specifically reprove the “language” I used in Isle of Hope.

I’ll be honest and say right off the bat that when I included expressions like “freakin’, flippin’, friggin,” in Isle of Hope, I had NO idea they would offend anyone. As a historical writer tackling her first contemporary, all I was striving to do was paint a realistic picture of today’s young people with actual expressions used to express emotion because heaven knows how I LOVE to express emotion! So to say I was shocked when I read that two reviewers took offense over these words, is an understatement. I am most grateful that the one reviewer (who mentioned the language in the book) was kind enough to spare me a 2-star like the other reviewer gave me, stating, “There are some wonderful characters and a beautiful story of forgiveness … but some readers will be offended by substitute swear words.”

Wow … what an eye-opener for me! I mean honestly, how many times have I said, “oh my gosh!,” never once trying to slip anything past God by secretly meaning to say His name in vain. Seriously?? To me, words like darn, gosh, gee whiz — and yes, freakin’, flippin’, and friggin’ — are not meant to disrespect God in ANY WAY, but to protect His holy name instead, with words that can stop some people from actually using His name in vain. 

So … being the type of person who would rather die than hurt someone’s feelings, I really and truly regret that I upset those two reviewers and any of you reading this post today who feel the same. So much so, in fact, that I was blue for a couple of days and very “anxious” about the prequel, which also has a few of these words.

And here ‘s where the “growth” comes in. For a space of a couple of days, I allowed the devil to beat me up over this situation, focusing my attention on those two reviews rather than on Jesus. Will I try to tone down the so-called “language” in my books in the future? Yes, I probably will, but God also reminded me that He has called me to march to a different drummer than most Christian authors. Yes, my books are more romantically passionate than most romance novels in the Christian market, but they are also more spiritually passionate than most too.

And that’s because I long to reach women like I used to be — utterly lost without Him. The same woman who would no more read a Christian romance than fly to the moon. And yet, although many believe in God (1 in 9 women in the U.S. profess some form of Christianity according to a Barna Group survey), many of those same women worship at the world’s altar instead of God’s (aka Fifty Shades of Grey and the like), living their lives according to the world’s standards rather than His. Those are the women I long to reach with my stories of passion. Mainstream inspirational stories that hopefully will not only draw women like that closer to the God, but teach (through lessons learned the hard way in my own life) practical application of God’s precepts to those who love Him as much as I do.  

So would you do me a favor? Would you consider saying a prayer that God will help me reach mainstream Christian women for Him? I would SO appreciate that!

And remember:  Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. — Hebrews 12:2

Hugs and Happy “fixing”!

Julie

“Oh, Jack,” she whispered, eyes shining 

 with the same steadfast assurance 

he’d once espoused himself, 

 “you should know better than anyone—

 there is no hope without forgiveness.”

— Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

As most of you know by now, my new contemporary novel, Isle of Hope, is a story about forgiveness and how without it, there is no hope of reconciliation, no hope of healing, and no hope for hope.

And we all need hope, right?

I wrote Isle of Hope because of the invaluable lesson God taught me about forgiveness with my own father, so I hope each of you get a chance to read it because for me, it’s more than a novel that entertains. It is a life lesson in forgiveness — one that God not only proved true in my own life, but will prove true in yours as well.

Want proof?

A few weeks ago I got an email from a sweet reader friend by the name of Bethany Hanger, who allowed me to tell you what she wrote:

“The theme of the book as a whole was touching! My short but heartfelt journey throughout the book was awakening! Having all of the characters show some sort of forgiveness through each of their difficult tragedies showed me that forgiveness is always on the horizon through God’s timing! I have had difficulty forgiving a life long friend for betraying my trust and ditching me. While reading this book, I realized that I needed to forgive her and start over! I called her today asking to meet sometime soon so I could apologize and also give her the chance to explain. We are meeting next Sunday. Could you please keep this particular situation in your prayers?”

Could I??? Oh, you bet I could!!! And did, rejoicing the entire time that God had used my book to not only touch a reader’s life, but hopefully change it for the better as well. Trust me — there is no letter from a reader better than that!

Imagine my joy when I received this response from Bethany a while later:

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m blubbering like a baby right now because OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! What a testimony as to just HOW powerful forgiveness is and HOW each of us holds it in the palm of our hands, just waiting to be given away!

So … who do you need to forgive today? I challenge you to ask God to reveal if you are harboring any unforgiveness because if you are, I promise you it is restricting the full wellspring of peace, hope, and joy that God wants you to have. Trust me, I know.

Like Bethany, I also had a girlfriend who hurt me — over and over again — until I finally said to God one day, “Lord, I’m done. I do not want to be friends with her anymore.”

You know what happened? That Still, Small Voice floated through my brain while I was on my knees in my living room, and this is what It said:

“No, Julie, you are not done because I have anointed this friendship.”

I remember looking up at the ceiling in shock, saying, “You can’t be serious??!!”

But He was, so I got serious, too, about forgiving this friend once and for all, telling myself that although she didn’t (at the time) stack up to what I wanted in a friend, she was ANOINTED to BE my friend by the God of the Universe, so I accepted her and forgave her on those grounds. And you know what?

Today she is one of my dearest, closest friends today and an invaluable prayer partner who has blessed me immeasurably throughout my life.

So don’t let satan steal from you what God intends as a blessing. Forgive. Heal. And Love. Because our God does NOT want His kids holding grudges.

I urge Euodia and Syntyche to

iron out their differences and make up.

God doesn’t want His children holding grudges.

–Philippians 4:2 

And neither do I! 😉

Hugs and Happy Forgiving!

Julie

HEY, WILL YOU CONSIDER DOING ME AND OTHER AUTHORS A HUGE FAVOR?

Nominations for finalists in the sixth annual Grace Awards are NOW taking place until February 28, 2016, so please consider nominating your favorite autors in various categories (one per category), and if I garner one of those nominations, I thank you!

Here’s the link where instructions can be found, but basically you nominate your favorite author in one or all categories, then send it in an email to the Grace Awards (email given on the Grace Awards page) along with the link to your website, blog, OR social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, Pinterest, etc.). That’s it, so here’s the link:

https://graceawardsdotorg.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/reader-nominations-begin-grace-awards-2015/

AND THEN … if you want to vote on the MOST SWOONWORTHY KISSES IN CHRISTIAN ROMANCE, HOP ON OVER TO GOODREADS TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVES!

Here’s the link, and you can vote for as many as you want, so GO CRAZY!!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/77076.Christian_Novels_Containing_Sigh_worthy_Kisses

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (especially if you vote for me along with other favorites!! 😉

HUGS,

JULIE