Journal Jots – Blog

Do not be afraid, because I’ve redeemed you.

I’ve called you by name;  

you are mine.

–Isaiah 43:1

For me and most of our country, September 11 is a sad day, winging our thoughts and our prayers to those who suffered so much loss in the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of our country. In respect for those who died, their families, and those who provided rescue, I’d like to begin this blog today with a silent prayer for those families who were tragically and personally touched by 911 and for our nation.

Given the history of September 11, today is definitely a bit of a emotional day, and one for me that is also the end of an emotional week. Most of you know that my husband and I just moved to the Lake of the Ozarks, a tiny community that is one of the nation’s top lake destinations. Because of the tourism the Lake brings, it’s sort of a surreal mindset here in the summer, where the emphasis is definitely on watersports and boating and just plain having fun.

But then life happens to alter your perspective, quickly reducing surreal mindsets down to the only one that matters:

We belong to God.

And, boy oh boy, was I glad of that this week because last Sunday, we landed in the Emergency Room when my husband contracted pneumonia. You know, there was a time when that word didn’t scare me, but in recent years, I’ve seen the damage it can do if not corralled quickly enough. Before antibiotics came on the scene, pneumonia was one of the deadliest diseases around, and even today with our advanced medical state, there are still about 1 million people hospitalized with pneumonia every year, approximately 50,000 of which die from the disease.

So when I saw my strong, strapping husband burning up with fever, soaking and changing four T-shirts a night, and losing 7 lbs. in a few days, I got real nervous, especially when the fever lasted almost a week. I’d lay there at night praying for him while vile thoughts of being a widow flashed through my mind. I can’t tell you how many times I sat up to see if he was breathing or touched him to see if his skin was still burning up. Trust me, this is one time you don’t want to be a CDQ (caffeinated drama queen) because the anxiety and loss of sleep took a real toll on me. After several nights of this, all I could do was touch him while he slept and whisper Jesus’ name over and over again.

And guess what? That one amazing, beautiful, totally powerful name not only sent a peace coursing through me, but I believe it fought the pneumonia as well. At one point in the night, I even remember smiling through tears because in my mind’s eye, I suddenly saw the rhythmic whisper of Jesus’ name almost like a blood transfusion, pumping healing into my husband’s body through the healing Blood of Jesus! His Blood, His Name, His presence in our lives. And all because we belong to Him!

I am happy to report that the love of my life is finally on the mend, given a thumbs-up by the doc yesterday as long as he takes it easy and rests for at least another week. Yeah, we’ll see how that goes — he was out sawing dead limbs off several trees this morning before I hounded him to go inside, the poor guy weak and out of breath. Sigh.

God has called each of us by name, stating unequivocally that “you are mine.” That’s me and that’s you. But reflecting on 911, I’m reminded that bad things sometimes do happen to those who belong to Him, but that doesn’t ever change the fact that we are His, both on this side of eternity and the other. And I don’t know about you, but that is the one thing I cling to when life gets a little too real like it did for me this last week and like it has and is for many of you right now. Please don’t forget that you are His — His prized possession and the apple of His eye. He will see us through whatever life throws our way.

I am forever grateful to God and to those of you who prayed for my husband this week — THANK YOU!!

In closing, I’d like to post a tiny clip from one of my own favorite spiritual scenes because it underscores that we belong to Him, and we should never forget it. This is from A Love Surrendered, where the hero Steven O’Connor finally “gets it” that he belongs to God.

“God will help you do the right thing.”

His father’s parting words opened his eyes, prompting him to search the heavens. “Will you, God? Will you help me to do the right thing—not just with Annie, but with the rest of my life?”

His whisper broke in the dark, hoarse and cracked and so desperate for change that emotion choked the words in his throat. “I-I’ve made so many mistakes . . . with my father, with Maggie, with you. I’m begging you . . .” A heave shuddered his body. “Forgive me, please . . . and change me like you changed my father . . . and help me to become the man you want me to be.”

The steady beat of the rain drummed on the roof while the cold air chilled his body, the cool and damp of impending winter heavy in the air. And yet somehow, Steven felt warm, his breathing shallow as his eyes scanned the sky. There were no bolts of lightning to illuminate the dark nor peals of thunder to herald anything new. Only the still small voice of God in his heart, stirring a flame of hope that brought peace to his soul.

He leadeth me beside the still waters . . . He restoreth my soul . . . He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness . . .

“I don’t understand,” Steven rasped, eyes brimming with tears. “Why do you even care?

Because you are mine, the thought came, and Steven bowed his head and wept.

Because for the first time in his life, he finally understood.

He was.

Hugs and Healthy Weekend!

Julie

SUPER PAPERBACK DEAL — HUGE SALE ON HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO SERIES!!

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! The PAPERBACK copies for the entire Heart of San Francisco series are ON SALE for only $1.99 each at CBD for a short time, so take advantage!! Here are the links:  LOVE AT ANY COST,  DARE TO LOVE AGAIN,  SURPRISED BY LOVE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY NEW CONTEMPORARY NOVEL TO RELEASE SOON!!

Well, I’m pretty excited because my newest novel, Isle of Hope, will be releasing in e-book only in late October or early November, so stay tuned to Journal Jots for the exact date and when you can preorder, okay?

She stole his heart.

He stole her peace.

Can hope steal their pain?

At the age of eighteen, Lacey Carmichael was a wild girl bent on fun, promised to Jack Carmichael, a straight-and-narrow pastor’s kid bent on the seminary. When her father kicks her out of the house, she runs away from Isle of Hope, turning her back on everything she loves. Now, eight years later, she’s back as a woman of faith, hoping to make amends to the father she defied, the boyfriend she deserted, and the best friend she denied. Only the bridges she’s burned are still smoldering, kindled by an adulterous affair by Jack’s pastor father that damaged his son’s faith. But can a turning of tables—and hearts—lead the way back to “hope” for them all?

 

 

 

Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

—Psalm 32:10

Squeeeeeeee!!!!!

Yes, it’s true … I finally have a cover to show you for my first contemporary novel ever, ISLE OF HOPE, and I hope you like it as much as I do! Drumroll please …

 

Although I am a die-hard romance writer and reader, this book is combination of romance and women’s fiction because of issues with which the heroine deals, which is why I went for a more serious and sedate cover.

Now, if you are a regular reader of my Journal Jots blog, you already know I intended to call this new novel Unfailing Love, releasing it this fall as an independently published novel on my own. Although the title Unfailing Love is based on our quotation Scripture above and sown throughout the novel, I loved the phrase “Isle of Hope” SO much that I decided not only to use it as the title of the series, but as the title for this first book as well. But I also wanted to keep the phrasing “Unfailing Love,” too, which is why it appears in the banner at the bottom of the cover. Because that way, I get my cake and eat it too. 🙂

I am shooting for a release date in late October or early November for ebook only, then a paperback release next summer, so keep your eye on my Journal Jots blog each week for final pre-order and release dates AND a contest to win a signed e-copy.

And because I am still unpacking boxes from my move and JUST got our countertops and sink in the kitchen two days ago, I am going to make my writing of this Journal Jot short and sweet with an excerpt of the first chapter of Isle of Hope. Some of you may remember that originally I had a prologue scene where the heroine was tempting the hero with the idea of skinnydipping, but based on my editor’s feedback, I deleted it. However, you can still read that deleted prologue scene HERE and see celebrity pix of the hero and heroine as well.

And now, I give you chapter one of my first contemporary novel, Isle of Hope, which is a wee bit biographical as far as the heroine’s estranged relationship with her father. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Labor Day Weekend and if you recently moved like I did, then you know there’s an extra emphasis on the word “labor.” 😉

Hugs!

Julie

 

Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

—Psalm 32:10

 

Chapter One

Isle of Hope, Georgia, Early Summer

When it comes to burning bridges, I am the Queen of Kerosene.

Puffing out a wispy sigh, Lacey Carmichael squinted into the rearview mirror to make sure the coast was clear, then dragged her bulging purse onto the seat with an unladylike grunt. The action caused her dusty blue Honda to swerve on Skidaway Road—along with her stomach.  

Oh, crud! She straightened the wheel with a jerk, body rattling more than her 2008 Honda after a cross-country trip. Gaze flicking to the mirror, relief coursed like high tide. The lonely road behind her revealed nothing but palms and Georgia pines, silent sentinels ushering her home.

Home. Where full moons rose over the marsh, and the scent of wisteria embraced summer nights. Where the lazy lull of river grasses swayed in the breeze, soothing a sleepy coastal community that burrowed into one’s memory like a long-lost friend. A haven where tidy cottages nestled next to lush antebellum homes, evoking a postcard setting that harkened back to a simpler time.

A simpler time?

Lacey sucked in a deep draw of the rich and humid low-country air, pungent with the salty smell of the marsh, and instantly zipped back eight years to a time that had been anything but simple. Memories of an eighteen-year-old wild child constricted her throat, a rebel daughter who’d bolted from the hometown that had been anything but a home. Her shoulders slumped as she passed the Piggly Wiggly.

What am I doing here?

She cut loose another gust of ragged air while her eyes focused straight ahead. Returning to the scene of the crime. The charred debris of all the mistakes that I’ve made.

One hand welded to the steering wheel, she rifled through her studded leather purse with the other, fingers fumbling on a tube of lip gloss. With amazing dexterity, she untwirled the screw-on cap and applied Ooh La La, then puckered her lips. Now if she could only gloss over her past as easily …

The BP loomed ahead, and she slapped on her blinker, veering in to park at the closest empty pump. Her car squealed to a stop at the exact moment the contents of her purse careened to the floor. Lacey, you lead foot—when are you going to learn? Mumbling under her breath, she turned the car off and leaned to pick up the spilled items. A woman’s high-pitched laughter suddenly riddled the air, desecrating the sacred strains of Justin Timberlake from a radio nearby.

“Jack, you bad boy,” a woman’s sultry voice said, drifting from the other side of the pump, “what am I going to do with you?”

Lacey shot up. Her head slammed against the glove compartment. She blinked through a haze of stars at the car on the other side of the pump, too dazed to feel the pain.

“Well, I know a few things that come to mind.”

Lacey sucked in a sharp breath, which instantly jammed in her throat. That voice. The same voice that had once uttered a proposal of marriage and swore to love her forever. Goose bumps popped as her breathing shallowed. A second onslaught of female laughter grated in her ears, and when she inched up to peer out the window of her Honda, her stomach immediately took a dive.

Whenever she allowed herself to think of Jack O’Bryen—which wasn’t often—she convinced herself that memories made people and things far better than they’d actually been.

Yeah, right. Hands propped to the driver’s door of a brand-new cherry-red BMW Z4, Jack O’Bryen appeared every bit the hottie he’d been when they’d first started dating over ten years ago. Only now he was taller, his previously lanky frame more filled out, and his physique tighter. Once shaggy chestnut hair, a byproduct of college and seminary days, was now trimmed neat and clean at the nape of his neck. He casually scratched the back of his head with a bulge of a bicep that made her mouth go dry, then slacked a narrow hip to the door. “The nozzle leaked, so I’m going in to wash my hands—need anything?” he asked the blonde.

Lacey moaned inwardly. Yeah. Distance—lots and lots of distance. She’d expected to run into Jack eventually, but now? Her first two minutes in town? She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Really? Heaven knows she wasn’t ready. Not even after eight years. She caught a glimpse of his tight, faded jeans and swallowed hard.

God help me, will I ever be?

The blonde shook her head, letting fly with another nauseating giggle that was sheer blasphemy against the strains of Never Again, a song that fit perfectly with the theme of Lacey’s homecoming.

Never again would she turn her back on the people she loved.

Never again would she seek her will over God’s.

Never again would she give her all to Jack O’Bryen.

The man in question disappeared into the station, and Lacey dove for her keys. She cranked the ignition and groaned. The gas needle lay prostrate, so far beyond “E,” it was on “F” for fumes. She shot a glance at the Barbie Doll applying hot-pink shimmer to Angelina Jolie lips and then at the station where Jack was nowhere to be seen, and decided to chance it.

If memory served, the men’s room was on the opposite side of the building from the ladies’. She could do this. Jerking the handle, she flung the door wide and slammed it too hard, obviously distracting the blonde from her makeover as she looked up. Lacey gave her a nervous smile and made a beeline for the station door, purse clutched to her chest while her gaze darted across the store. Ignoring the curious looks of bystanders, she sprinted to the ladies’ room, rib cage heaving as she gripped the knob and turned. Thank you, Lord, home free!

“Lacey? Lacey Carmichael?”

Her eyelids sank closed as her stomach contracted, hand now grafted to the door. Warding off a wave of dizziness, she willed herself to turn around, but her smile felt as cardboard as the Timberwolf Chewing Tobacco display over Jack’s shoulder. “Hello, Jack.” Her voice was little more than a squeak as she peered up at “bridge #1,” the man whose heart she’d stomped on eight years prior without ever looking back.

He stared in apparent shock, mouth gaping and pale blue eyes just as wide, a perfect match for a well-muscled pale-blue polo. For a brief moment, his jaw seemed unhinged before he snapped it closed with a nervous bob of his throat. His mouth tamped into a tight smile. “What are you doing here? I mean, I knew you were coming back for the wedding, but that’s over two months away.”

Ah, yes, her cousin’s wedding. Her excuse, God’s mandate.

She cleared her throat so she could breathe and attempted a casual stance, cautiously butting against the restroom door. Her purse remained welded to her bright pink halter top she was pretty sure matched her cheeks. “Well, you know my cousin, Nicki—a little scattered when it comes to details, and with Uncle Cam on naval commission in the Mediterranean, she asked me to come early to help out. And I’m off for the summer, so …” She gulped and forced a megawatt smile. “Here I am!”

He blinked. “Sorry about your mom,” he said stiffly, “I heard she passed away a few years back.”

Her gaze dropped to the grimy linoleum while she fought the sharp sting of tears that always threatened when she thought of her mother. It had been over six years since depression had stolen her life, but even now, mere mention of her still slashed anew. “Thanks, Jack,” she whispered, praying he didn’t know her mother committed suicide. They’d kept it quiet, and heaven knows her father would have never let the awful secret out, but small towns had big ears. “It was a difficult time for all of us.”

He gave a sympathetic nod before his smile seemed to set like concrete along with his hard-angled jaw, which sported a shadow of dark bristle. “I hear you’re a teacher.” His words were clipped, matter-of-fact … cool. “In San Diego.”

Her cheeks warmed, no doubt bypassing “pretty pink” altogether to go straight to mortified magenta. “Yes, I was … I m-mean I am a t-teacher,” she stuttered, “but not in San Diego anymore.” She fortified for her next statement with a deep draw of air, gripping her purse so tightly, she was certain she’d have studs embedded in her chest. “I … took a job in Savannah … for the fall.”

Silence. A nerve quivered in his cheek as his gaze skimmed from the top of her disheveled blonde ponytail to her lacy pink halter and jean short-shorts that suddenly felt way too tight. Without missing a beat, he raked down tan legs to her baby-pink polished toenails, looping her stomach when he scanned back up to settle on her face, the blue eyes thinning considerably. His smile was as flat as his tone. “Really. Alone? Or with your significant other?”

She detected the barest grinding of his teeth, a habit that swooped her back years to countless arguments in his car when she’d tease and tempt, the school flirt dating the pastor’s son. His piercing stare unnerved her, unleashing a barrage of babble that always bubbled from her lips whenever she was nervous. “No, alone.” She sucked in a deep breath and forged on, anxious to slip past the subject of her wedding debacle. “So I decided to come back here to live … well, not here here … on Isle of Hope, that is … uh … I mean I will this summer, of course, because I’ll be staying with Nicki.” She swept her bangs out of her eyes with a shaky hand before her fingers slid down to fiddle with the renegade strays of hair trailing her bare shoulders. “But come fall, I hope to have an apartment in Savannah or maybe even Wilmington Island because I have a friend who moved there from San Diego, family you know, and she lov—”

“Does your dad know you’re home?”

She froze mid-sentence, mouth open and body stiff like when she used to play swinging statues with Jack’s sisters on their front lawn, rigid and scared to make a move.

Like now, at mere mention of “bridge #2.”

He shifted, cocking a hip. “He doesn’t, does he?”

Lacey felt another blush rise and tossed her ponytail in the air. “Not yet, but to be honest, Daddy’s one of the reasons I’m here.” She continued coiling loose strands of hair around her finger, her tone softening as her eyes begged forgiveness. “I hope to make amends,” she said quietly, the barest hint of a plea in her words, “to those I hurt in the past.”

His lip curled. “Well that should keep you busy.” He folded his arms, the motion straining thick muscles against the knit cotton of his sleeves. “Just with my family alone.”

“Jack, please …” Her whisper was almost an ache, the memory of Jack’s twin sisters— bridges #3 and 4—twisting her gut. Best friends who’d once been like blood. A quiver of air seeped through her lips, depleting her to the point of exhaustion.

His gaze flicked to her left hand and back. “Not married yet? Or is San Diego littered with broken hearts too?”

Heat blasted her cheeks, and she knew full well she owed him any scorn he chose to toss her way. “Actually, only one—mine.” She hiked her chin, ready to take any punishment he sought to mete out. “You’ll be happy to know I was soundly dumped by my fiancé, two months prior to the wedding, and good news! It was a double whammy—broken heart, broken bank account.”

For the briefest moment, sympathy flickered in those blue eyes as the tight lines eased around his mouth, but Lacey wasn’t here for sympathy—she was here to heal and be healed. “So …,” she said in a rush, anxious to move past the awkwardness of this first encounter. “Nicki tells me you’re a big-shot doctor now, working with kids at Memorial.” The tension in her face softened along with her eyes. “A pediatrician—very impressive. You always were a sucker for kids.”

She spied the barest relaxation of his facial muscles, hinting at a possible smile he probably wouldn’t let through. “Yeah, I started in a pedes practice at Memorial last week. “He threaded a hand through short dark hair streaked with summer sun. “After thirteen years devoted to higher education, it feels good to finally devote myself to kids.” One of his dimples winked as he slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, nodding toward the cherry-red Z out the window. “Along with having a little fun for a change, like indulging in a new toy.”

Lacy managed a grin. “Very nice, Dr. O’Bryen—fulfillment of a long-held dream, I believe, given all the times you lusted after Todd Raber’s cherry Z. Residency must have paid well.”

He cuffed the back of his neck, a tinge of pink seeping into his summer tan. “Not really. But Mom insisted I live at home till I started in a practice, so other than the token rent I forced her to take and school loans, my residency paychecks mostly went into savings.” He gave a small shrug. “So I decided to spend some.”

“Well, it’s about time, Jack O’Bryen—you’ve always been way too serious and focused.” She glanced out the window where the blonde was buffing her nails while shooting laser looks their way. “And speaking of ‘serious,’ I think your significant other may be getting tired of waiting.”

He glanced over his shoulder and grinned, the sound of his husky chuckle bringing back a rush of memories. “Yeah, Mere’s not the patient type, that’s for sure.” He turned back, a gleam of trouble in his eyes so foreign to the studious boy she used to know. “Everybody keeps telling me I’m the perfect age and place to settle down, but I’m not buying it.” He flashed perfectly white teeth, his manner suddenly bold and edged with a wild streak that hadn’t been there before. “Having way too much fun.”

She fidgeted with the studs on the front of her purse, uneasy with this new Jack, a man-about-town who seemed light years away from the sweet, intense seminary student with whom she’d fallen in love. Brushing the hair from her eyes, her hand was as shaky as her smile. “Well, it’s been great seeing you, Jack. I’m sure our paths’ll cross again since we’re both in the wedding.” With an awkward wave, she turned to manhandle the knob, struggling to open a door that refused to budge.

He reached around and turned it for her, giving it a light shove. It wheeled open as slick as the oil in the pumps. “I’m sure you will,” he said quietly, the warmth of his breath against her neck causing her skin to tingle. “Mom and my sisters still live next door to your dad, and I assume if you’re home to build bridges, that includes Mom and the twins?”

She peeked over her shoulder. “It does,” she whispered, feeling as awkward as if this were the end of a first date. She paused. “How is your mom, by the way—and your sisters?” She rested her hand on the knob to keep her fingers from trembling. “I keep tabs on them through Nick, of course, but I know she hasn’t been in touch with your sisters since …” Her words trailed off, not wanting to put voice to the awful tragedy that had befallen them all.

He cleared his throat, hands back in his pockets. “She’s good. Praying up a storm, as always. Still hounding me to go to church, which I do for her, but I’m not into that stuff anymore.”

Lacey blinked. Oh, Jack, no … “B-but that used to be your thing,” she whispered.

He studied her through a shuttered gaze. “It used to be my dad’s thing, too, remember?”

“Excuse me, please.” They jolted at the presence of an elderly woman who took them both by surprise.

“Oh, pardon me,” Lacey said as she held the door open for the lady to enter.

“Thank you, young lady.” The woman toddled past, and Lacey exhaled slowly when the door closed behind her, her gaze flitting back to Jack. She released a wavering sigh. “Well, unless I plan on taking a summer job as BP doorman, I think I better scoot. Take care, Jack, and please tell your mom and sisters I’ll be in touch.”

The blue eyes all but burned into hers as he nodded, a shadow of a smile grazing his lips. “Will do.” He reached to chuck her on the chin. “Welcome home, Lace.” Turning, he made his way to the door where the blonde with the perfect nails waited with a pout.

Lacey entered the restroom, numb while the door thudded hard behind her. Eyelids sinking closed, she sagged against the worn and peeling wood while she sucked in a sharp breath, fingers kneading the seeds of a headache in her temple.

“Dearie, are you all right? You look as if you’re about to be sick.”

Lacey’s eyes popped open. She managed a smile at the sweet, gray-haired lady who was blow-drying her hands. “I’m fine, thank you,” she said, ducking into the nearest stall. She slid the bolt closed and collapsed against the door, palms flat to the dirty beige steel while her eyes stared straight ahead. She swallowed hard.

Or will be in about two months.

 

 

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.

Acts 17:28

For me, this week, the operative word is “move,” because that is exactly what my husband and I were doing — for the second time in two months. And let me tell you — never have I been happier to know that we were “in Him” the entire time!

And we were because I felt it!

–His holy peace when I read our Scripture quote above in my daily devotional the day BEFORE the move.

–His calm assurance that everything would be okay despite both my husband’s and my knees giving us trouble the entire week before.

–His amazing grace when this old gal lugged box after box down 17 steps to our townhouse.

–His incredible wisdom when both of us stared at the unholy mess like deer in headlights, not exactly sure where to begin.

–And most of of all, His awesome joy that became our strength despite the fact that our new home looks like a hoarder’s garage sale (see pix below) and our new kitchen countertops and sink won’t be installed till next week.

Joyful translation: I don’t have to cook for a week!!

So I apologize for being a week late with this JJ — actually started it last Friday — right before company arrived to help us pack up for the move that took place last Tuesday.

But I’ll tell you what — one thing this entire undertaking has taught me is that in everything we do, no matter good or bad, God is with us, walking us through and sometimes carrying us too.

Uh … all except the umpteen boxes that is. Those we carried ourselves, but it was ALL His strength, I assure you!

Hugs and Happy Weekend “in Him”!

Julie

 

I love my tiny kitchen — less to clean!!

Boxes, boxes, everywhere!!

Plants, plants everywhere!! The Amazon Jungle in Osage Beach …

Keith is a litttttle overwhelmed …

Time for a nap — with two patio sets from which to choose!

Lots of work … but the view is sooooo worth it!