Interview with Julie Lessman, Part 2

I'm bringing you the second part of my interview with Julie Lessman author of A Passion Redeemed now. For one extra entry into the contest, leave a comment on this post. For three more entries, subscribe to Julie's newsletter! You can find the info on subscribing at the end of this interview. If you subscribe, shoot me an email at mypalamyATgmailDOTcom by Sunday at 5 p.m. PST with the email address you used. Julie will be verifying that you subscribed! :) (or tell me if you are already subscribed)

Which character do you relate to more? Charity or Faith?

Oh-oh … probably Charity, because I’m pretty much a pistol just like her. But both characters reflect my personality a lot. Faith, the sister heroine of A Passion Most Pure, is my spiritual self and mirrors the intimate relationship I have with God. Like Faith, I talk and pray to Him as naturally as if He is my best friend (and He is!), but I also get angry with Him too. You might say that Faith 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.

Charity, the sister heroine of Book 2, A Passion Redeemed, is my rebellious and “passionate” self, before I came to the Lord. I was a wild child of the seventies, you know, like so many of us, and pulled many of the shenanigans that Charity pulls on Mitch in book 2. Thank heavens that Jesus got a hold of me (as he does Charity in A Passion Redeemed).

Unfortunately, a lot of women find themselves in situations like Charity's and her friend Emma with abusive men in their lives. What words of hope would you like to share with them?

That God IS “the God of hope” from Romans 15:13, and they should RUN to Him! I firmly believe that when He is our all in all, He will fulfill the rest of this incredible truth in our lives—“Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you could share one thing with men about women what would it be?

LOL! I’d tell them about my favorite episode of Home Improvement where Tim “the tool man” Taylor holds up a stop sign and tells the audience a man invented it. “How do I know?” Tim asks. “Because it says “stop. If a woman invented it, it would say,” He flips the sign around and it says, “If you really loved me, you would know what to do right now.”

OMIGOSH, how true is that???!!! We women think our guys have a clue about why we are mad or what he needs to say or do, but he doesn’t! He’s a man, wired differently than we are. So I would tell all men that that when their wives or girlfriends are acting a little bit off-kilter, they need to pull her in their arms, tell her they love her and ask her what’s wrong. Of course, not all of them would do that, but oh, wouldn’t it be nice?

Because so much of the book was set in Ireland, I missed spending time with the other members of the O'Connor family. Will we see more of them in the next book?

Are you kidding?? I LOVE these people, so you will definitely see more of the O’Connors in book 3, A Passion Redeemed. When I fall in love with a hero and heroine in book 1 of a series, and they are rarely mentioned in the next book or only appear in a cameo role, I am MAJORLY BUMMED! So when I decided to write this series, I promised myself there would be plenty of Faith, Charity, Collin, Mitch, Marcy and Patrick in ALL three books!

Well, as you can imagine, by the time I got to book 3, I not only had to come up with a great plot for the hero and heroine, but great sub-stories for each of the couples from books 1 and 2 as well. And, so far, the main consensus from my editor, agent, writer friends and family is that book 3 is their favorite book in this series. So hopefully my readers will enjoy it too! It comes out May 2009 … and, yes, I know how far away that is!!! Groan!

I'm dying of impatience for the next book...can we have a little hint? A tease? Please?

You bet! Here’s the blurb I have on 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.

What books have you read recently that impacted you?

Without question, Mary Connealy’s Calico Canyon is funny and touching and packs a spiritual punch that took me by surprise. I am currently reading An Irishwoman’s Tale by Patti Lacy, and although I am not usually a women’s fiction fan, this book has mesmerized me with its vivid imagery and haunting story. Both books are wonderfully well written. (note from Amy...can't wait to read An Irishwoman's Tale!)

Would you like to share a final message with your readers?

Just that I want to thank them—and you, Amy—for the incredible support and encouragement I have received. I don’t take that lightly. I feel a connection with every reader who contacts me, which they can do through my Web site at 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/.