Love at First Thought with Julie Lessman

by | Feb 13, 2011 | Fiction Book Reviews | 14 comments

Well, it’s Valentine’s Day!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!!

Who better to welcome in the Season of Love with the Kissing Queen herself, Julie Lessman.

Julie has been a tremendous encouragement to me over the past year. From praying for me, checking up on me, and giving me words of advice for both writing and living, I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity to get to know this FANTASTIC lady. Her entire personality lights up the first floor of any building. People swarmed around her at ACFW, wanting to glean from the passion for life she exudes. The same passion she pours out onto the page in her beautifully written novels.

Some of you may have heard the ‘behind-the-scenes view of Julie’s first novel, A Passion Most Pure, but for those who haven’t, here’s a sneak peek.

Four life-altering words: Gone With the Wind. 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 with a 150 single-spaced manuscript that today is the basis for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure. As a young pre-teen girl I knew I wanted an Irish family, a war and a love triangle just like GWTW, so that’s what I did.

Fast forward almost forty years later—I was sitting in a beauty parlor reading a Newsweek magazine July 16, 2001 cover article about Christian entertainment. It said Christian books, movies and music were on the threshold of exploding. My heart jumped, and something in my spirit said, “It’s time to finish your book.” I started writing A Passion Most Pure one month later, finally selling it to Revell after 4-1/2 years and a total of 45 rejections. 

Can you imagine? This amazing book took 45 hits before Revell saw the possibilities. I’m SOOOO glad they did! Thanks for giving us that reminder to persevere, Jules.

Inspirational Beginning:

2 John 1:1

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

It’s a choice we make that isn’t always an easy one. Love.

The idea behind the verse above ‘walk in love’ is that love is continually flowing from us, in constant motion throughout our lives. It’s as evident as walking.

The contradictions of this love?

It breaks down walls and it builds them up.

It crushes pride but nurtures hope

It is replenished as it is given away.

It is unending, yet ends all conflict

It binds us, yet sets us free.

It is big enough to change the world, but small enough to fit inside a heart.

Love.

In such a great way, God’s love transforms our lives so that we walk in the knowledge: We are inexhaustably, neverendingly, overwhelmingly, liberatingly, breathtakingly loved beyond our greatest imaginings. Loved through life and eternity by the Bridegroom of Heaven.

Not only has he swept us into his love, but wrapped us in such assurance that our hearts rejoice in Him.

True love?

Jesus

What can you give Him for Valentine’s Day?

Your heart.

 

********************

final picture courtesy of : http://ccesonline.com/devotionals/holidaysseasons/valentines-devotional-2/

14 Comments

  1. Audra

    Pepper! You couldn’t have chosen a more suitable author for Valentine’s Day! Talk about novels that sear your soul even as they rip open hearts for God’s love to mend.

    Ahhhhh. Haaaaa.

    Julie, so glad to see you as the Valentine’s Day choice. No one better, my friend! Keep those words flowing…faster! LOL!

    Love to all. It’s Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Hi Audra,
      Well, ya know – I can’t imagine skipping Valentine’s Day now without reading some luscious scene in a Lessman novel. What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic…er…or a hopeful romantic 🙂

      Reply
  2. Casey

    Pepper, that is simply BEAUTIFUL! What a fantastic way to start the morning. May your day be blessed, dear friend!

    And JULIE, still can’t figure out why you got 45 rejections…waiting on the right house, I guess! 🙂

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Thanks, Case.
      You are a darling!
      And I can’t wait to see what Julie Lessman does with YOUR character 🙂

      Reply
  3. Julie Lessman

    PEPPER, thank you SO much for posting me on Valentine’s Day AND for your kind words — what a BLESSING!!

    AUDRA — Oooooo, “novels that sear your soul” — I LIKE it!!! Can I steal it??? 🙂

    CASE — 45 rejections = God’s timing, so I am not going to complain. 🙂

    Happy Valentine’s Day, all!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

    Reply
    • Pepper

      Jules,
      You KNOW you are always welcome.
      Always.

      Reply
  4. Susan Mason

    So glad you persevered, Julie! Happy Valentines Day!

    Sue

    Reply
    • Julie Lessman

      Me too, SUE!! Happy V-Day right back at ya, my friend.

      Hugs,
      Julie

      Reply
  5. Michelle T.

    Hi Pepper and Julie! Thanks so much for this post! What a great reminder . . .

    “It’s a choice we make that isn’t always an easy one. Love.” Isn’t that the truth? Loving someone when it’s the last thing we want to do, and loving someone that isn’t very lovable. :::sigh::: Thank God He equips us to be able to walk in love.

    Sweet Blessings to all of you,
    Michelle

    Reply
    • Julie Lessman

      GRIN … hey, Michelle … long time, no see!! 😉 Thanks for coming by, sweetie!!

      Hugs,
      Julie

      Reply
  6. Joshua

    Larry King once wisely uttered, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” That is totally how I feel. I am grateful to have learned something new today.

    Reply
  7. Kathryn Albright

    I was standing in the check-out line at my first ACFW conference this year with A Passion Most Pure on the top of my stack because I’d read so many great reviews about it over the past few months when who should be right beside me but Julie Lessman! She graciously offered to autograph it for me. (Thanks Julie!) What a dynamic woman–I’m glad she didn’t give up and persevered in her writing.

    Thanks for a great post Julie and Pepper!

    Reply
    • Julie Lessman

      Wow, Kathryn, I just now saw your comment, and I appreciate you coming by to say “hey.” You blessed me as much as I blessed you because a new author NEVER gets used to seeing people with her book in their hands. STILL blows me away … 🙂 Hope to “run into you” this year as well, sweetie …

      Hugs,
      Julie

      Reply
  8. Myra Johnson

    Julie, where would we be if you hadn’t fallen in love with GWTW? Think of those wonderful and amazing books the world would have missed out on! So glad there’s more to come!

    Reply

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