CFBA Blog Tour - Julie Lessman and A Passion Redeemed

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Passion Redeemed
Bethany House - September 1, 2008)
by Julie Lessman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JULIE LESSMAN is an author who has already garnered writing acclaim, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She is a commercial writer for Maritz Travel, a published poet and a Golden Heart Finalist. Julie has a heart to write "Mainstream Inspirational," reaching the 21st-century woman with compelling love stories laced with God's precepts. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law. A Passion Most Pure was her first novel, and it is part of the Daughters of Boston series, which also includes A Passion Redeemed and A Passion Denied. You can visit her online at her web site: http://www.julielessman.com/.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Depth of beauty...shallow of heart, Charity O'Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought. Charity O'Connor's stunning beauty and flirtatious ways have always succeeded with men. Until Mitch Dennehy, that is.

Brilliant and dangerously handsome, Mitch is a no-nonsense newspaperman who wants nothing to do with her. Although the sparks are there, he refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with a woman who ruined his life. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won't play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants—one way or another.

Or does she? Will her best-laid schemes win his love? Or will her seductive ways drive him away forever? Book 2 in the Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Redeemed will captivate your heart and stir your soul with a story of faith and redemption rising from the ashes of temptation, desire, and shame.

Praise for the first book in the series:

"Full of romance, humor, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page." --Historical Novels Review "Superb! Incredible!

"I loved Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure from the second I picked it up until the very last moment I stopped reading." --Armchair Interviews

"I devoured this book and loved every single page...This is a thick, juicy read, and one I would pick up again in a heartbeat." --christianreviewofbooks.com

If you would like to read an excerpt, go HERE.

Buy your copy of A Passion Redeemed Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Actually, the inspiration for this novel came from A Passion Most Pure, because the plot for A Passion Redeemed just seemed a natural conclusion to Charity's actions in the first book. And since I am basically a seat-of-the-pants writer, I literally followed the trail that Charity's personality laid out for me, expanding the plot as I went along. Kind of like Hansel and Gretel following a trail of breadcrumbs (very symbolic if you have read the book!) to find my way home. :)

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

Tons. I write by feeling, so there are plenty of my feelings in these books—such as Charity's seductive nature, something that she and I had in common before I became a Christian. And the quirky, manipulative things she would do, like putting breadcrumbs in her eyes to make herself cry on demand. And even her propensity to throw up at the drop of a hat—this was something I used to wish I could do as a child so I could stay home from school. Also, Faith's character in the book as the sister who always resorts to prayer first, that is a habit of mine as well. And as far as Mitch's tendency to groan when God tells him to forgive or pray ("That's your pat answer to everything, isn't it?" he groused)—well, that's vintage Julie Lessman, I'm afraid! :)

As far as traits that belong to the characters alone, Faith is a lot calmer than I am (just ask my husband on the mornings I have to post my Seeker blog!), and Charity is way more sarcastic than I am today. Mitch is a lot more grouchy than me (except on Seeker post mornings) and also loses his temper a lot more quickly than I do these days. But all in all, they are all pretty much characters with my blood in their veins. :)

3. If your heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would she be and why?

Grin. Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy—because Charity definitely needs therapy!

4. What themes exist in A Passion Redeemed that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

The most important theme I would like to convey is that lust is not love. In today's amoral society, so many young girls equate strong sexual feelings with love, so they move in with their boyfriends for a while, get married and then wonder why the marriage doesn't work. Because although sexual attraction is nice, it doesn't sustain a marriage and will eventually fade when the marriage does. Not only that, but I truly believe young women cut themselves off from God's blessings in a relationship when they go against God's precepts (the Deuteronomy 30 principal that is a major theme in A Passion Most Pure).

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Hard as it may be to believe, there were actually NO difficult parts in either A Passion Most Pure or A Passion Redeemed—both were sheer pleasure to write, especially Charity's story (almost 500 pages), which I literally pounded out in two months while working part-time.

Now the third book in the series, A Passion Denied? Absolute murder to write, primarily because at the time I was reading a book by an author that I absolutely LOVE and felt so inadequate next to her. I would sit at my keyboard and want to puke on what I'd written—it was that bad. So I literally "fasted" that author for six months and prayed my heart out for God to help me write the book He wanted me to write. And He did! I'm happy to say that most of my family and friends who have read A Passion Denied like it best of all three books in the series, so that is HUGE relief!

My favorite parts to write? Are you kidding?? The love scenes, of course! And since I have a real fondness for LOTS of romantic tension, when I write those scenes, my fingers literally fly and the keyboard is pretty near smoking! :)

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Book 3 in The Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Denied, is the story of Faith and Charity's little sister, Beth (who changes her name to Lizzie during The Roaring Twenties), a shy bookworm who dreams of a fairy-tale romance. It unfolds a man's dark past and a young girl's shattered dreams … and the God who redeems it all.

Here's the blurb from my Web site:

Elizabeth O'Connor is the little sister John always longed for. With a fire for God in his belly, he has been her spiritual mentor since she was thirteen, sharing her love of literature and her thirst for God. But when his gangly protégé blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving him, he refuses to act on the attraction he feels. His past won't let him go there. Unfortunately, "Lizzie" won't let him go anywhere else … until his dark and shocking secrets push her away.

Thanks, Amber, for allowing me this time to connect with you and your readership.

I LOVE to hear from readers, so anyone who would like to contact me can do so through my Web site at http://www.julielessman.com/, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter, in which I feature book giveaways. Finally, I invite your readers to visit The Seekers, a group blog of which I am a part that talks about "The road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between." You can find it at http://seekerville.blogspot.com/.

Thanks again, Amber, and God bless!

* * * * *

Thank you, Julie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of A Passion Redeemed.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you leave your email address (name [at] domainname [dot] com/net) or that there's a way to contact you. Otherwise, you won't be entered. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

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Spotlight on Julie Lessman and A Passion Most Pure

*** Don't forget to read about Jill Elizabeth Nelson from Wednesday's spotlight. No comments yet. Wouldn't want y'all to miss out on a FREE book. :) Read below today's spotlight. ***

Today, I have the privilege of introducing a brand new author to you. She has a great story to tell and a fantastic book to share. As a new author myself with a book releasing in February, I'm honored to have Julie with us today.

Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Lessman is a debut author who has already garnered writing acclaim, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She is a commercial writer for Maritz Travel, a published poet and a Golden Heart Finalist. Julie has a heart to write "Mainstream Inspirational," reaching the 21st-century woman with compelling love stories laced with God's precepts. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law. Her first book, A Passion Most Pure, was released January 2008. Visit her Web site at http://www.julielessman.com/.


A PASSION MOST PURE
by Julie Lessman
Published by Baker Publishing Group, Revell

BUY YOUR COPY TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O'Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity's hand, Faith isn't sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin's affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O'Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page. Book 1 of the Daughters of Boston series.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your first novel. Congratulations! And what a cover! Already the buzz is zipping around the Internet and publicity airwaves. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Initially my inspiration was Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara, because from the moment I read Gone With the Wind, I was hooked on romance. So much so, that I immediately set out to write (along with thousands of other love-struck young girls, I'm sure), what I hoped would be "the great American novel." Obviously my dreams of grandeur didn't go anywhere (grin), but I did write 150 single-spaced pages of a story that is actually the basis for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure. Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it!), almost forty years passed before God breathed new life into that early attempt and inspired me to finish my childhood novel of passion—only this time the "passion" would be for Him!

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the characters of Faith and Collin? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

With the heroine, Faith O'Connor, quite a bit. We both have hot tempers and get our "Irish" up more than we should. Also, you might say that Faith is my spiritual self. She has an intimate relationship with God—she talks and prays to Him as naturally as if He is her best friend, but she gets angry with Him too. I like to say that she (and I) are emotionally engaged with the God of the Universe—we laugh with Him, tear up at His goodness to us, and worship Him with all of our hearts. As a matter of fact, Faith and I are so much alike in the spiritual aspect, that a good friend once told me that reading A Passion Most Pure was "like going to lunch with me." I hope that's a good thing!

As far as the hero goes, Collin McGuire is shaped and molded by his anger toward God, much like I was before I came to the Lord. His bitterness changes him from a loving, caring human being into a womanizer who has a grudge against religion and morality, not unlike me as a wild child of the 70's. But God gripped my heart, just as He does Collin, in a way that changed both of our lives forever. Yeah, God!

As far as traits that were theirs alone, I can't really think of any. Mmm...apparently I'm writing about myself in these books … :)

3. What themes exist in A Passion Most Pure that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Well, the most important theme I want readers to see is how natural and fulfilling an intimate relationship with God can and should be. Like breathing. He should be a first resort, not a last one, and a best friend as well as Lord of your life. That's how He is to Faith and to me, and eventually to Collin as well.

The main theme of the book is based on the original title, which was A Chasing After the Wind, from Ecclesiastes 2:26. For me, "wind" is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, Faith is "chasing after the wind," that is, the Holy Spirit or God's leading in her life. Collin, too, is "chasing after the wind," but in his case, it is the wind of futility, chasing after his will (sin) rather than God's, which according to Solomon, is "meaningless" and nothing more than "a chasing after the wind."

The most powerful theme of the book, in my opinion, is the message of Deuteronomy 30—the choice between life and death, blessing and curse. Simple application of God's Word—choosing to do things His way rather than our own. Whether it's praying for someone who just cut you off on the road rather than flipping them off, or choosing to remain silent when a morsel of gossip is salivating in your mouth, a decision awaits each of us every minute of every day. But, oh my, the benefits attached to our obedience are PHENOMENAL!! Blessings will overtake you, which is a lesson my heroine in A Passion Most Pure learns, and eventually each of the sisters in the series as well.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Well, there weren't any "difficult" parts to write in this one (now book 3, A Passion Denied is another story altogether, but I digress), but there were parts that were easier and more fun to write, such as love scenes—my all-time favorite!! I like tension, lots and LOTS of romantic tension, so when I write those scenes, my keyboard is smoking because my fingers fly. In fact, one of my friends wanted to know why I couldn't just write a nice, "sweet" love scene. Duh, because I would fall asleep! :) Even my husband noticed the fast and furious pace of my love scenes—he said he would be meandering along in a nice, easy passage and then, bam! A love scene would hit, and before he knew it, he was 20 pages down the road! :)

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Book 2, A Passion Redeemed, will be released in September 2008 (in time for the ACFW book signing at Mall of America, I hope!). Book 2 is Charity's story, a woman who puts her faith in her beauty rather than in God. It is a story of redemption and faith rising from the ashes of temptation, desire and shame. Here is a brief description:

Depth of beauty...shallow of heart, Charity O'Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. She sets her sights on a cantankerous Irishman who has stolen her heart. But although the sparks are there, he refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with a woman who ruined his life. She burned him once; he won't play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants—one way or another.

Thank you, Tiff, for having me as your guest—it's been fun!

* * * * *

Thanks, Julie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of A Passion Most Pure. If you don't wish to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile, since many of you don't return to check the winner notification. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.