WHO IS JULIE?
Julie
Lessman, award-winning author of “The Daughters of Boston” and “Winds of
Change” series, was named American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author
of the Year and voted #1 Romance Author of the year in Family Fiction
magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards. Julie has also garnered 17 RWA
and other awards and made Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction.
Check out the video for her independently published book, A
Light in the Window, which was an International Digital Awards winner, a
2013 Readers' Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner.
THE BLURB
From Ugly Duckling to Swimming
with the Swans …
but is she over her head when it
comes to love?
As
a shy and pudgy child, Megan McClare has always been ridiculed by her
classmates, but when she returns from her senior year in Paris, the wallflower
has suddenly blossomed into a beauty. Hopeful of becoming a lawyer or doctor to
help the disadvantaged women of the Barbary Coast, Megan accepts an internship
at the District Attorney’s office only to discover she’ll be working with the
boy who mocked her in school. She turns to her best friend Bram for support and
advice, and Bram—fighting an unwelcome attraction to a friend he’s always
perceived as a little sister—encourages Meg to forgive Devin and pursue a
friendship. The friendship with Devin evolves into a serious romance, but when
a sailboat accident tosses Bram and Meg into the seas of attraction, both her
heart and her emotions capsize, threatening to change the course of love …
WHERE IS JULIE?
You
can contact Julie (and read excerpts from her books) at www.julielessman.com,
or through Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Pinterest, as well as sign up for her
biannual newsletter. Be sure to check out Julie’s group
blog, The
Seekers, Writers Digest 2013 and 2014 “Best 101 Websites for
Writers, and Julie’s own personal blog, Journal
Jots, which was voted blog of the month in the Readers’ Choice poll
of Book Fun Magazine. Finally, you can download a FREE eBOOK of
Julie’s award-winning debut, A Passion Most Pure, at most online
booksellers.
UP NEXT:
My
next release is a Christmas novella called A Whisper of Hope, which is
part of Christmas anthology called Hope for the Holidays Historical
Collection, with stories of hope from award-winning
authors (and fellow Seekerville blogger friends) Mary Connealy, Myra Johnson,
and Ruth Logan Herne. There is also a Hope for the Holidays Contemporary
Collection as well, featuring award-winning authors Audra
Harders, Mary Connealy, Sandra Leesmith, Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and
Missy Tippens. Both collections are available in ebook only for $2.99 each.
Alexa:
You’ve been called “The Kissing Queen” of Inspirational romance and have even
written a writer’s handbook called Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic
Tension for the Inspirational and Sweet Markets. Can you explain your
tagline, “Passion with a Purpose” to our readers?
Julie:
You bet! Those who have read my books know they are a tad more passionate than
the majority of Inspirational romance, and I did that on purpose. You see, I’m
the type of woman who loves a heated romance. You know—the heart-fluttering,
pulse-pounding emotional tug-of-war between a man and a woman? It draws me,
always has, from my early days when I first read Gone With the Wind at
the age of twelve.
But for me and many
women, heated romance is not enough. Without faith in the middle, it becomes
more lust than love—heat that burns but doesn’t keep you warm for the long
haul. I figure if I’m going to invest large chunks of time in reading books, I
want more than the race of a pulse. I want to be encouraged, inspired, uplifted
in addition to swooning over a heart-melting kiss. Kind of a double benefit,
for instance, like organic health foods. Not only do organic foods satisfy
one’s hunger, but they also nourish one’s health. So when I turn that last
page? I want to walk away with a WOW
factor that goes well beyond a kiss, leaving a feel-good feeling for both body
and soul.
Alexa:
What’s the first book you remember reading?
Julie: Well, I don’t really remember the
first book I ever read, but I DO remember the first one that impacted my life.
From the moment Scarlett seared Rhett with a look on the winding
staircase of Twelve Oaks, I was hooked, and my “romance-writing career” began! Gone
With the Wind inspired me to begin my own novel at the age of 12, a
150-page, single-spaced manuscript that actually became the basis for my debut
novel, A Passion Most Pure, some 40 years later.
In
fact, I was so hooked on romance after reading GWTW, I actually dressed up as a
nun in high school to see a free showing of GWTW for the local religious and
clergy. One of my friends had a sister in the convent who loaned us novice
habits and off we went! I sat there mesmerized, shoving free popcorn into my
mouth as I watched the tug-o-war between Rhett and Scarlett. It was one of the
most fun times of my teens … until we ran into the nuns from our high school. Whoops!
Alexa:
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Julie: Ha—big surprise! That would be Gone
with the Wind, of course, followed closely by The Notebook, A
Walk to Remember, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and My Fair Lady.
Alexa:
What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more
people COULD know?
Julie: Well, not only do few people know
this about me, but most would not believe it either because in my books and
online, I’m a bit of a clown with a CDQ (caffeinated drama queen) personality.
But, yes, it’s true—I am a bona-fide hermit who seldom leaves my laptop/comfy
chair to go out unless my husband drags me. I like to joke that I’m a recluse
who has the misfortune of having an outgoing personality because I literally
lose myself in my writing and my work, which my husband and daughter refer to
as the “zombie zone.” If I had my way, I’d stay at home, grafted to the seat of
my chair and write, write, write! Hate shopping of any kind, no longer do scads
of lunches with friends like I used to, and NEVER talk on the phone if I can
help it. So I guess I wish friends and reader friends understood this so they
wouldn’t get their feelings hurt when they don’t hear from me because I
reallllllly hate to hurt people’s feelings.
Alexa:
What’s the best birthday (or any holiday) present you ever received?
Julie:
Without
question, that would be the gift my artist husband gave me for Mother’s Day one
year. He’d just built us a beautiful media room in our basement, a work of art
really, because the man is incredibly creative and handy, and it had these
multi-colored pillows on our leather sectional couch. Would you believe he took a picture of one of
those pillows and designed three different versions in the same colors, then
superimposed them on canvas frames as a wall grouping? “It’s beautiful, babe,”
I said, amazed once again at his mind-boggling creativity. “Look closer,” he
said, and I squinted a bit, suddenly seeing our entire life before my eyes.
Yes, you guessed it—this incredible man actually super-imposed pictures of each
of us—me, my son, daughter, daughter-in-law and himself—over the multicolored
canvases to create living artwork that captured US. WOW!! Let me tell you—I
teared up on the spot and threw myself into his arms, giving him the biggest, most
grateful kiss I could! What can I say—MasterCard has nothing on him—he’s
“priceless.”
Alexa:
What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
Julie: Mmm … not sure how “interesting”
this is, but I have a number of writing quirks such as MUST HAVE a cup of
hazelnut decaf with Half ‘n Half, a box of Kleenex (for the soggy scenes I
write), a mirror handy for those facial expressions I’m trying to capture on
paper, and … ta-da! … lip gloss! That would definitely qualify as one of my
quirks—lipstick and lip gloss. I bet I apply one or the other 20 times a day
because I wear it everywhere, even to bed! :)
My
biggest quirk, however, is I’m kind of freak about ambiance. I have to have
candles lit when I watch TV or eat dinner or visit with friends, and the
lighting has to be turned down real low, which drives my husband crazy because
he likes to actually see his food!
Alexa:
What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?
Julie: This sounds silly, I know, but my
hubby has this adorable habit of fixing one of the ten different Keurig K-cup
flavors we have in our Keurig carousel, and he’ll very carefully bring his cup
to me to test taste, making me guess which flavor it is. He always has this
sweet look on his face, like this is the most important thing for him at the
moment, and I can’t help it—it always makes me smile. Not to mention crave a
cup of coffee!
Alexa:
How often to you get lost in a story?
Julie: Oh, goodness, every chance I get,
to the tune of 6-8 books a month. I carry a book in my purse at ALL TIMES, plus
keep one in the powder room during the day and then on my nightstand at night.
I read in the car while my husband drives, after I’ve given him his token 20
minutes of conversation, of course! ;), in store checkout lines, at railroad
crossings while I’m waiting for a train, in doctor’s offices, and even when my
husband leaves the table for anything when we are dining out. I never miss an
opportunity to read if I can help it, because for me, “getting lost in a story”
is not only how I relax, it’s one of my favorite things to do!
Alexa: Finally, do you have a question you’d like to ask
your fans?
Julie: If you are an inspy reader, how
many kisses do you like to see in a book?
Folks,
Julie will choose 1 commenter to receive a copy of one of her books. (US:
either paper or ebook, international: ebook only) . Thanks for stopping by!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note:
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