Journal Jots – Blog

Dear God,

My prayer for 2012 is a fat bank account and a

thin body. Please don’t mix these up like you did last year.”

— Unknown

Uh-oh … I’ve been Tagged!!!  And, no, that doesn’t mean my books have been reduced or are being given away for free.  

Yet.

But … a little birdie told me that this spring, both A Passion Most Pure and A Hope Undaunted will be available for free download, so I’m giving a heads-up to all of you—my insider reader friends—to keep your eyeball on Journal Jots because I will announce when it happens, okay? And … A Light in the Window may also be on sale by then, so lots of good things coming up, including special giveaways of book 1 in my new “Heart of San Francisco Series, Love at Any Cost, releasing April 1^st.

So if I were you, I would subscribe to this blog RIGHT NOW so you get e-mails delivered directly to your mailbox whenever I post any new blog, giveaways, or juicy news. It’s smart and simple and oh, soooo easy!! All you have to do is scroll up to the right-hand side of this page and enter your e-mail, click on the “subscribe” button, and VOILA … you will be “tagged” to never miss any of my giveaways or breaking news ever again. Uh … such as the winners of my KINDLE FIRE CONTEST at the end of today’s Journal Jot, so be sure to scroll down!!

AND SPEAKING OF BEING TAGGED …

My very good friend and author, MaryLu Tyndall TAGGED me on a BLOG HOP BOOK TOUR and this is how it works. I will answer the following questions and then tag another author so you can read her answers to the same questions. It’s a fun way to learn a little bit more about my upcoming book, Love at Any Cost AND meet one of my favorite historical romance authors, so here we go!

What is/was the working title of your most current or upcoming book?

That would be book 1 in the “Heart of San Francisco” series (originally called “The Cousins McClare” series), Love at Any Cost (originally called Dare to Dream), which—YIKES—releases in just under THREE MONTHS on April 1^st!!!  Pre-orders are available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, and Christian Books.com, so if you go there to look, I’d greatly appreciate you “LIKING” the page. 🙂 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Well, I’d already done a series on sisters on the East Coast with “The Daughters of Boston” and “Winds of Change” series, so I simply flipped to the other side of the country and went with cousins from an Irish family. I’ve always loved the beauty and charm of San Francisco, and I thought it would be really interesting to butt the Barbary Coast—a poor and downtrodden part of San Francisco that became known as “Sin City” of the late 1800s and early 1900s—against the Nob Hill elite, which is exactly what Love at Any Cost is about. Here’s the blurb from my proposal:

From the glitter and glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill and Napa wine country, to the seedy dance halls and gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, “The Cousins McClare” is a study in contrasts between the haves and have-nots, and barriers between rich and poor that only faith can transcend.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

1-line premise:

A spunky heiress without a fortune falls in love with a handsome pauper looking to marry well.

Moral Premise:

Pursuit of material things, pleasure or escape will lead to discontentment and emptiness, but pursuit of God will lead to fullness of joy and fulfillment.

Scripture Theme:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. —Matthew 6:21

Jacket Blurb:

Fooled by a pretty boy once,

shame on him.

Fooled by a pretty boy twice,

shame on me.

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who just as soon hogtie a man as look at him … until Jamie MacKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well lassoes her heart. But when Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than him, Cassie finds herself bucked by love a second time, sending her back to Texas to lick her wounds and heal her heart. In her absence, Jamie discovers money can’t buy love, but love built on faith can set a heart free, a truth he discovers a little too late … or is it?

How long did it take you to write your manuscript?

About five or six months for the first draft, then three months to edit/revise for a total of nine.

What’s one of your favorite things about this book that you hope will appeal to readers too?

This book is a lot lighter and more humorous than my prior books, although there is still a fair amount of drama and angst because let’s face it, it wouldn’t be a Julie “CDQ” Lessman book without that, right? But overall, the fun and sassy cover depicts the light mood of this particular novel, so I hope the reader will enjoy Cassie’s humor as much as I do.

What celebrities best describe your hero and heroine?

For my hero Jamie MacKenna, the Barbary Coast street rat who becomes a lawyer with political aspirations? Oh, man, that would have to be Matt Bomer from the TV show White Collar, and HUBBA, HUBBA!! Please note, due to copyright laws, I cannot post his picture, but here’s the Google images link where you’ll find him, so be prepared to drool: 

Matt Bomer

For my heroine Cassidy McClare, Revell actually came pretty darn close to my image of this sassy and unconventional Texas oil heiress whose daddy’s wells have run dry. Cassidy is a fun character who prefers “blue jeans to dresses, ranching to socializing, and horses to men, and the poor woman would kill to have an electric cattle prod whenever she tangles with Jamie MacKenna! I pegged a blonde Rachel McAdams for this very unconventional heroine, so here’s the Google images link to her:

Rachel McAdams

AND NOW to TAG one of my favorite authors!! If she doesn’t post her answers right away, don’t despair… she’ll have them up soon, so be sure to check her blogsite often. I am tagging:

Mary Connealy

And We Have Winners …

I thank each and every one of you who entered my KINDLE FIRE CONTEST when ALITW came out—awesome turnout!! But, unfortunately, there can only be one big winner of the Kindle Fire (or equivalent gift card) and four runners-up, each of whom have won their choice of a signed, printed, and spiral-bound copy of A Light in the Window OR a $20 Amazon gift card. So without further ado, a HUGE hug and SUPER CONGRATS to the following winners:

Winner of the Kindle Fire or Equivalent Amazon Gift Card is:

Julie Gilmore Graves

Four Winners of a Signed, Printed, Spiral-bound Copy of A Light in the Window or a $20 Amazon Gift Card are:

Haley Victoria

Debbie Lynn Costello

Abi Buening

Donna Phillips

Hugs and HAPPY NEW YEAR and may it be overflowing with His abundant blessings for you and yours!!

Julie

“May all your troubles last

as long as your New Year’s resolutions!”

— Joey Adams

Goodness—where did this year go?? Only three more days of 2012, and then 2013 moves in. What will it bring?? Well, one thing I know for sure it will bring is a January 15 deadline for book 2 in The Heart of San Francisco Series, working title Dare to Love. I have 361 pages written and about 4-1/2 scenes yet to write, so say one for me, okay?

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as mine. Being a grandma (JuJu) is more fun than I ever dreamed possible, and what a joy little Rory was opening presents, let me tell you. And, true to form, her favorite toys were bows (it’s in her blood as her CDQ grandma is a bow queen) and boxes. And, oh, I just have to share some of my favorite pix this Christmas, which my son calls “The Santa Claus Process” when he took Rory to see Mr. Ho-Ho-Ho. As you can see from the following three pix, the visit started out shaky, but ended up with a smile when Mr. Claus gave Rory a candy cane. Sigh … other than a realllly great hero or kiss, nothing melts my heart quite like the beautiful smile of a baby or child … especially a grandchild!!

 

Okay, believe it or not, I’m gonna make this Jot short and sweet (yeah, yeah, I know … you don’t believe it either), but it’s true as I need to get crackin’ on the book. My hubby is dragging me (yes, unfortunately, “drag” is the correct word when I have my nose to the deadline) out of the house every day to go to a rush-hour movie and dinner. We saw Les Mis yesterday (LOVED the spiritual aspect of that movie—WOW!!) and tonight we see Parental Guidance, which I hear is really cute. Keith wanted to see Lincoln, but I said, “Come on, babe—do you really want to go straight from a revolution to an assassination?? I mean, can’t we break it up with a few laughs?” So bizzzzzy day ahead …

MY FINAL GIVEAWAY OF 2012 takes place on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31st on Seekerville when I will be hosting the 4:00-5:00 PM EST slot for our Seekerville “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party. There will be AWESOME GIVEAWAYS — ONE PRIZE AN HOUR (FREE PAPERBACK BOOKS, E-BOOKS, CRITIQUES, PHONE CHATS, GIFT CARDS AND SURPRISE PACKAGES) plus RECIPES, so do not miss it!!! The party begins Monday, December 31, 12:01 EST at midnight and continues until  the clock strikes 12:01 CST on Tuesday, January 1st  2013 PST, so come say “hey” for a chance to win your choice of any of my books plus LOTS of other prizes! Here’s the link and hope to see you there!!

SEEKERVILLE ROCKIN’ NEW YEARS EVE PARTY

 

FINALLY … A HUGE, HUGE FAVOR REQUEST!!!

If you have read A Heart Revealed, A Love Surrendered or A Light in the Window and liked them, would you be kind enough to consider nominating one of them in the 2013 Inspy Award Contest? The INSPYs were created to select and showcase books with the highest literary standards that grapple with the Christian faith and were designed to help readers in their search for the preeminent faith-inspired literature of today. If you think my books fit this description, then click on the link below and nominate one of my books OR that of any other favorite author. Please keep in mind that both contest wins and good reviews are two of the best ways you can keep the authors you love in print, especially in an increasingly difficult economy where publishers are cutting their author ranks. Your support is GREATLY appreciated!!

INSPY AWARD NOMINATION LINK

 

I wish you and yours a WONDERFUL new year overflowing with God’s blessings … and may the year ahead bring each of us closer to Him!

Hugs,

Julie

“Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder …

But gratitude is straight from the heart of God.”

— Julie Lessman

FIVE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS — YIKES!!!

If you’re like me, your house is a shambles with unwrapped presents stacked against the wall, rolls of wrapping paper propped up in the corner and cookie crumbs all over the unswept floor (and no, I didn’t bake them myself!). But … there are also twinkle lights over my hearth, hints of snowflakes dancing outside my window, and a brand-new Keurig coffee maker plugged in that Keith just “had to have,” brewing us everything from hazelnut to English toffee to pumpkin spice.

Ah, Christmas … there really isn’t anything else quite like it. And you know what? Despite a dirty house and a January 15 deadline on book 2 in The Heart of San Francisco series, I am actually enjoying this holiest (and busiest) of seasons. Why? Because for the first time in 62 years, I am ashamed to say, I am truly focusing on the Reason for the season rather than the season itself. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s all around me in the precious smiles of my granddaughter, in the beautiful gleam of the ring on my daughter’s finger and in her eyes, and in the little-boy excitement I see in my husband’s face every time he presses that silly button on the new-fangled Keurig.

But it’s my gratitude to the God who gifted me with all these people and things that truly has taken precedence for me this year and the result is a quiet joy and peace unlike anything the world has to offer. As author Ann Voskamp says in her amazing bestselling novel One Thousand Gifts: “God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.”

A heart of gratitude—one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received from the hand of God, and the gift that makes Christmas all it should be … and all the Savior meant it to be.

Did you know we can pray for a heart of gratitude and God answers that prayer? You bet, and the following story I wrote for the 12 Pearls of Wisdom blog series going on right now is absolute proof. Pearl Girls is a charitable organization to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe, so I hope when you finish reading my story below, you will click on the link provided to enter the Pearl Girl’s wonderful giveaway of a pearl necklace, books, a gift pack, and music CDs and find out a little bit more about this wonderful group of women. 

Then I invite you to leave a comment on my story at the Pearl Girls blog, and I will enter you in a special drawing for a signed printed copy of A Light in the Window.  Happy reading and GOOD LUCK!!

When God Wraps a Present …

We’ve all heard the adage “it’s better to give than receive,” but never have I agreed more than the year I was engaged to the love of my life.

It was truly a Christmas to remember—spiced egg nog and snickerdoodles and shimmering presents unwrapped in a circle of love. Of course, we all ooohed and ahhhed over each gift opened, one at a time, reveling in the glow of excitement for giver and recipient alike.

And then it was my turn. Everyone waited while I tore into a small box, anticipation fairly shimmering in my fiancé’s eyes.

“Do you like it?” he asked, grinning like a little boy when I unearthed a very pretty silver watch.

No. “It’s beautiful,” I said with a shaky giggle, slipping it on and holding it up for everyone to admire. I quickly gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Thank you so much, babe—what a perfect gift!”

Perfectly awful, that is. You see, when you are a twenty-eight-year-old Type A career woman who is very set in her ways, there are just some things you have to buy for herself—books, costume jewelry, purses … a watch.

All right, yes, I’ll admit it—“high maintenance” is my middle name because heaven knows I’m one of the most particular people on the planet, especially when it comes to watches. They have to be digital, waterproof, have a day and date window, an alarm, chronograph, second hand, both silver and gold metal to wear with either silver or gold jewelry, stretch band skinny enough to fit my wrist . . . and a GPS. Okay, I’m pulling your watch chain on the last one, but you get the picture—NOT easy to find, especially with numbers big enough for someone blind as a bat.

So, yes, I faked it, of course, thanking my soon-to-be husband for the “prettiest watch I had ever owned,” because it was—I just didn’t like it. But did I “fake it” with God? Uh, no. I went straight to His throne in prayer and begged Him to help me love this watch because the man I loved gave it to me and I just flat-out didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I even went so far as to write the prayer request on a piece of paper and put it in my Bible so I could “wrap” it in prayer every single day, which I did.

Until the fateful moment years later when my husband used my Bible one day and found the note.

“You don’t like your watch??” he says, confronting me with hurt in his tone while his eyes flicked to the pretty watch on my wrist.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, somewhat confused.

He held up the note. “You told God you hated it in this note I found in your Bible.”

Uh-oh . . . BUSTED!

“Oh, babe,” I said with my brightest smile and a quick kiss on the lips. “That was then and this is now. It’s perfect for me, just like you, and I absolutely love it.

And you know what? I did!!

TO ENTER THE PEARL GIRLS™ 12 PEARLS OF CHRISTMAS BLOG SERIES:
 
You can Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog where the winner will be announced on January 2, 2013. If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what they are all about. They exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Please consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help the support Pearl Girls.

TO ENTER MY PEARL GIRLS CONTEST FOR SIGNED COPY OF A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW:

1.) Simply leave a comment on my Pearl Girl’s blog HERE.

2.) Then let me know via Facebook or the Contact Julie tab of my website.

3.) Extra entries for reading and commenting on all twelve author blogs, 1 additional entry per each author blog commented on.

 

FINAL GIVEAWAY THIS YEAR FOR WINNER’S CHOICE OF ANY OF MY BOOKS:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21:Win your choice of any of my books including A Love Surrendered (paperbook or audio) and my Christmas e-book A Light in the Window: An Irish Christmas Love Story at a giveaway Mary Vee’s blog at: