Getting to know you Thursdays with Julie Lessman and giveaway

I am excited to welcome back Julie Lessman to my blog today. I have loved getting to know Julie over the past few years and she still likes me even though I admitted I don't like Gone With the Wind but I would love to see A Passion Most Pure as a movie. Julie is also giving away a copy of one of her books.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m a high-energy Baby Boomer married for 33 years to a man who makes me feel like I’m living my own personal romance novel. We have two wonderful kids, a daughter-in-law and a soon-to-be granddaughter, who I’m praying likes to read romance! Out of a family of thirteen, I was the drama queen and the one enamored with books and movies. In fact, I started writing my debut novel A Passion Most Pure when I was twelve years old after reading Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. But … it wasn’t until almost forty years later that 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. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books? 

Well, number one is no secret—Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. As mentioned above, this is the book that launched my romance-writing career at the tender age of 12! J I think I may be one of the few people around who actually LOVED Scarlett O’Hara … and don’t even get me started on Rhett Butler! Another all-time favorite of mine as a child was To Kill A Mockingbird—incredible storytelling!

3. Do you have a favourite genre to both read and write? 

My favorite genre to both read and write is historical romance (shock!), the bigger the book, the better, which explains the … ahem … length of my novels, although this will change in my new series, The Cousins McClare. For that series, which will release in April of 2013, I hope to keep book at about 300 to 350 pages versus my usual 500 or so! (Jenny here wow that will be a challenge!)

4. Did you have favourite authors growing up who have influenced you? 

Grin … at the risk of being redundant, Margaret Mitchell! From the moment I saw that white-hot attraction she created between Rhett Butler for Scarlett O’Hara, I was a goner on romance.

5. When did you know you wanted to be an author? 

Lol … when I cracked the spine of Gone With the Wind at the age of twelve, of course! 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. (Jenny again wouldn't it be good if in 10 - 20 years we I am interviewing new authors who were influenced by A Passion Most Pure)

6. How did you go about becoming an author? 

I took very specific and strategic steps toward publication. Here’s exactly what I did and what I tell all aspiring Christian authors:

1.) Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers at http://www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com/), FHL (Faith, Hope & Love at http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/) and RWA (Romance Writers of America at http://www.rwanational.org/), both to get connected with other like-minded writers and to learn a lot about your craft.

2.) Take a fiction-writing class or attend a writing seminar or conference.

3.) Join a critique group (you can do that through ACFW).

4.) Purchase and study writing books such as Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King or Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas, AND invest in a great thesaurus such as The Synonym Finder by Rodale Press (my writer’s bible!!).

5.) Enter contests for invaluable feedback, growth, confidence, networking opportunities and to get your name out there.

6.) Frequent websites/blogs that deal with writing, such as The Seekers (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog that I belong to whose theme is “On the road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.”

7.) Go for an agent first, publisher second.

8.) Then pray your heart out and put it in God’s hands.

7. If you were not a writer what would you like to be? 

Oh, gosh, either a psychologist or a motivational speaker, I suppose. Either way, I have a heart to encourage people, especially when it comes to having an intimate relationship with God. But the true desire of my heart is to be an author. And, WOW, to actually be an author who writes for God – pinch me!

8. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do? 

I love watching old movies (Gone With the Wind, That Touch of Mink, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Susan Slept Here are some of my favorites) and I especially like going out to dinner and a movie with my husband or snuggling with him while we watch a movie on “his” big-screen HD-TV.

9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?

Easy question! I would go to Ireland first because ever since Gone With the Wind, I have always been fascinated by the Irish. Then I would visit England next because our heritage is so steeped with that country’s influence.

10. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why? 

Since this is a fun “what-if” question, I could NEVER limit myself to just 3, so I’m going to put a spin on it and tell you what three “groups” I would absolutely LOVE to make a dinner for: 1.) All my favorite bloggers, 2.) All my favorite author friends and 3.) The Seekers, which, by the way, I will have the opportunity to do when most of the Seekers come to my house for dinner the day before the ACFW conference this year, in my hometown of St. Louis. (Jenny again does that mean me? would love to have a meal with you)

Finally can you tell us about your upcoming book, A Heart Revealed? Also where we can find you on the web.

A Heart Revealed will be released August 15 on CBD.com and September 1^st everywhere else. Book 2 in “The Winds of Change” series, it is the story of the oldest O’Connor brother, Sean O’Connor, a confirmed bachelor, and his sister’s best friend, Emma Malloy, a battered married woman. Here’s my own personal blurb:

The ring on her hand belongs to one man …

but her heart belongs to another.

As a battered woman, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston ten years ago, seeking shelter for a heart badly bruised by both her husband and guilt. But when she falls in love with Sean O’Connor, a man who wrestles with demons of his own, fear and shame almost destroy her … until she is finally set free by a heart revealed.

Thanks SO much, Jenny, for hosting me on your blog. Anyone who leaves a comment will be eligible to win a signed copy of any of my books, including my newest release, A Heart Revealed. 

I LOVE to hear from readers, so they can contact me through my Web site at www.julielessman.com, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter at http://www.julielessman.com/sign-up-for-newsletter/. My newsletter is chock-full of fun info on my books and there’s always a contest featuring signed book giveaways including one right now to have a character named after you or a loved one in my next book. Also, I have a cool feature on my website called “Journal Jots” (http://www.julielessman.com/journal-jots/), which is a very laid-back weekly journal to my reader friends that would give your readers an idea as to my relaxed style of writing. Then finally, I can be found daily at The Seekers blog (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog devoted to encouraging and helping aspiring writers on the road to publication.

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 13 Romance Writers of America awards and was voted by readers as “Borders Best of 2009 So Far: Your Favorite Fiction” at http://www.borders.com/online/store/ListView_best2009favefiction. Chosen as #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie was also awarded #1 Series of the Year in that same poll and #3 Author of the Year, #5 Novel of the Year and #4 Historical Fiction Author of the year. She resides in Missouri with her husband, daughter, son and daughter-in-law and is the author of “The Daughters of Boston” series, which includes A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied. Her “Winds of Change” series has recently released with A Hope Undaunted, which ranked #5 on Booklist’s Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010. You can contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

For a chance to win a signed copy of one of Julie's books you need to answer a question from Julie. You need to answer the question to enter. Please leave a way to contact you if I dont already have your address, you can put the addy as myemail at email dot com.


Julie's question is: If you have read my books, which is your favorite? And if you haven't, why not? 
You have til Friday 5th August at 6pm  Australian time.