Journal Jots – Blog

Thank God for Fathers …

Especially our Heavenly One!

Obedience = Blessing. This was something I learned from my father … but, uh, not my earthly one.

You see, my earthly father kicked me out of the house when I was 21 and I was bitter … until I became a Christian at 23. God’s first directive? Love your father. “But I can’t,” I argued, “he physically and emotionally abused me, and I hate him.” “Love him,” came God’s response. Groan. “But how?” I whined, “when I don’t feel any love for him?” “Just do it, Julie,” God persisted, “and I’ll put the feeling there.”

All righty then. So I did the only thing I knew to do—I repented of my bitterness and prayed for my widowed father diligently. And then I put feet to those prayers by taking homemade beef stew (his favorite) once a week and watching TV for an entire evening without talking except for commercials. When I left each night, I would hug him and tell him I loved him, but he would never say he loved me nor hug me back. 

Repentance-Prayer-Action. I was relentless … until lo and behold, I found myself looking forward to our evenings even if it meant watching The Untouchables in total silence. A word here, a smile there, and pretty soon the “untouchable” became touchable. “Good night, Daddy, I love you,” I said months later with my usual hug. “Good night, Julie,” he whispered, his arms slow and awkward as they inched around to hug me back. “I love you too.”

Obedience = Blessing. One lesson. Two fathers. Infinite blessings.

Hugs and Happy Father’s Day!

Julie

TUES., 6/23/15, 6-9:30 EDT–TIME FOR TEA & ROMANCE!!

Join me, Carrie Turansky, Melissa Jagears – Author, MaryLu Tyndall, Tamera Alexander, Gina Marie Welborn, and Carrie Fancett Pagels for a TIME FOR TEA & ROMANCE tea party, where you can chat with each of us on Facebook and win WONDERFUL prizes from each of the authors in addition to a grand prize. My giveaway is signed copies of my Heart of San Francisco trilogy, a cable car tin of Ghiradelli chocolates, and a $10 Starbucks gift card, and that’s just my prize — each of the authors have their own PLUS a grand prize of a beautiful Tea for Two Set with teacups and saucers, table cloth, tea, chocolate, and scone mix.  

NOTE: THIS IS A PRIVATE PARTY, SO TO BE INVITED, SIMPLY GO TO MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE AT JULIE LESSMAN’S FACEBOOK PAGE OR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING AUTHORS’ FACEBOOK PAGES AT THE LINKS GIVEN ABOVE AND REQUEST AN INVITE, AND WE’LL SEND YOU ONE, OKAY? HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

NEW RELEASE!!!

Grace Like Rain, a novella about Blake “The Rake McClare” from the Heart of San Francisco series is available NOW in the WITH THIS KISS HISTORICAL COLLECTION, which includes novellas by award-winning authors Mary Connealy, Pam Hillman, Cara Lynn James, Julie Lessman, and Ruth Logan Herne for ONLY $2.99, so here’s the link!

WITH THIS KISS HISTORICAL COLLECTION

ON SALE!!

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW IS ON SALE ON KINDLE FOR ONLY $1.99! My Irish love story, A Light in the Window—winner of three awards—is over 80% off right now, so please take advantage! Here’s the video my hubby did for A Light in the Window with my daughter as the model for both the book and video, so take a peek. ALITW Video.

SALES ON THE FINAL BOOKS IN O’CONNOR FAMILY SAGA!! HUGE savings on A Heart Revealed & A Love Surrendered, so check them out!!

Let it go …

— Kristen Anderson-Lopez and

Robert Lopez, from the movie Frozen

Well, we did it — we let it all go — the house we lived in for the last 18 years and the nearly 40 years of accumulation that came with it.

And, gosh, does it feel good! Tired, but good. 🙂

For the second time in a row, please forgive me for not posting my Journal Jot last Friday, but I’ve been a weeee bit busy with closings. Closing on our house in St. Louis, closing on our townhome at the Lake, and closing the door to a wonderful era in our lives.

But, oh, the new doors that are opening!!!

We feel SO much lighter (not weight-wise, trust me, because other than packing and moving boxes, exercise has gone by the wayside), but priority wise. Once we get truly settled, I hope to dive back into writing with a vengeance, so I will keep you posted on my progress right here on Journal Jots.

Sooo … since there are still boxes to unpack and weekend guests to entertain, I’m going to make this short and sweet with a few announcements and pix. Thanks for your patience with me these last few weeks, and I sure look forward to getting back to normal … whatever that is! 🙂

Hugs and Happy Weekend!

Julie

WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY IN THE NORFOLK CHRISTIAN FICTION EXAMINER: Thank you to all of you who came by to leave a comment on my interview at the Norfolk Christian Fiction Examiner website, and the WINNER of my comment drawing to win a free ecopy of any of my novellas is:

PAM K

Super congrats to Pam and mega thanks to everyone who participated.

TUES., 6/23/15, 6-9:30 EDT–TIME FOR TEA & ROMANCE!!

Join me, Carrie Turansky, Melissa Jagears – Author, MaryLu Tyndall, Tamera Alexander, Gina Marie Welborn, and Carrie Fancett Pagels for a TIME FOR TEA & ROMANCE tea party, where you can chat with each of us on Facebook and win WONDERFUL prizes from each of the authors in addition to a grand prize. My giveaway is signed copies of my Heart of San Francisco trilogy, a cable car tin of Ghiradelli chocolates, and a $10 Starbucks gift card, and that’s just my grand prize — each of the authors have their own. So check it out here, and be sure to put the date on your calendar. Here’s the link, and hope to see you there!! 

CLICK HERE FOR “TIME FOR TEA & ROMANCE” GIVEAWAYS

AND SPEAKING OF THE HEART OF SAN FRAN SERIES … if you haven’t had the chance to read about the fun and quirky McClares of San Francisco, including their deaf and near-blind lovable butler, crotchety housekeeper, and sarcastic parrot, you are missing out on a whole LOT of fun! Normally $9.99 each, these ebooks are on MEGA SALE in June only for $1.99 for LAAC, $6.00 or lower for DTLA, and $4.99 or lower for SBL, so if you are interested, now’s the time to check them out.

Love at Any Cost —– $1.99                        
Dare to Love Again — $6.99              
Surprised by Love —- $6.99

♫ ♫ The hills are alive

with the sound of … ♫ ♫

… PACKING??

Yep, you heard me — those wonderful moans, groans, and grunts of packing up (or giving away) almost forty years of memories and accumulation. Imagine moving from two houses (we’ve been renting a lake house that contains our own furniture) into one neat and compact townhome on a lake with no garage and almost no storage.

YIKES! That’s a lotta downsizing!!

And the ruler on the hand? Whack! We’re doing it in nine days!!

Thus the frazzled, cluttered state of mind I was in last week when I forgot, for the first time ever I might add, to even post a Journal Jot. Please forgive me — I’m hoping to return to normal (whatever THAT is!) sometime in July. 🙂

So although I don’t have much brain power to write a Journal Jot this morning, I do have a number of things to tell you, so thanks for coming by.

While packing this week, I came across the nun group pic above, which is actually from a performance that our Moms-in-Touch group (a national organization of moms who pray for their kids and their kids’ schools) did waaaaaaaay back when my kids went to Life Christian School. We performed a great singing/dancing rendition of I Will Follow Him from Sister Act as part of the school’s talent show, and let me tell you — we caused quite a stir! For those of you who have heard me mention my prayer partners from time to time, they are the third nuns in each row, left to right. Soooooo fun! And only one of many memories that either made me laugh or blubber as I waded through boxes and boxes of “memory files” that contained almost every note, picture, and school item for my kids from kindergarten to college.

Wonderful memories.

Ah, yes, but wonderful future as well!

Because now the love of my life and I are realizing our dream of living on a lake with almost no emcumbrances, which is how retirement should be. Only we’re not retiring, just slowing down some to smell the roses — or the lake air — a little bit more. Thus, I will no longer be writing books on my lower deck in the woods, but on a veranda overlooking a lake. Should be a nice setting to finish writing the Isle of Hope series, don’t you think?

So … what’s next in my writing world?

Well, unfortunately, I had to drop out of the Seeker summer novella due to lack of time, which would have kicked off my western series, but I’m hoping to get the novella out either on my own this year or early next year. As far as Isle of Hope, I’m still waiting word from my publisher, so I don’t know if that will be out this year as an indie book or in 2017 as a traditionally published book. But I do know I will have another Christmas novella out this year with The Seekers, so stay tuned to future Journal Jots for the info on that. I’m thinking either Katie and Luke or Lizzie and Brady …

Okay, I need to scoot now — packing calls! But here are some fun things going on that I hope you will check out:

INTERVIEW/GIVEAWAY IN THE NORFOLK CHRISTIAN FICTION EXAMINER: I don’t do many interviews anymore, so I hope you’ll take advantage and check this one out. Anyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing to receive a free ecopy of any of my novellas, including my upcoming Christmas novella for this year, which releases in October. Contest will run through June, and I will announce the winner in a July Journal Jot.

INTERVIEW/GIVEAWAY

HEY, DO YOU WANT TO SEE A PASSION MOST PURE MADE INTO A MOVIE??

A Passion Most Pure has recently been added to The IF List! The IF List is a platform for reader friends/fans to propose casting ideas for novels, games, etc. and allows them to gain popular support to make their dreams a reality! This is kind of a fun thing, so I hope you check it out, not just to “dream cast” APMP, but your other favorite novels/authors as well.

THE IMAGINE FILM LIST: A PASSION MOST PURE

HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO SERIES EBOOKS ARE ON SALE IN JUNE!!

If you haven’t had the chance to read about the fun and quirky McClares of San Francisco, including their deaf and near-blind lovable butler, crotchety housekeeper, and sarcastic parrot, you are missing out on a whole LOT of fun! Normally $9.99 each, these ebooks will be on sale as follows in June only, so if you are interested, now’s the time to check them out.

Love at Any Cost —– $1.99                        
Dare to Love Again — $6.99              
Surprised by Love —- $6.99

Soooo … that’s it for this week! Hugs and happy packing — whether it be fun into a weekend or odds and ends into a box!

Julie