tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post1011352796451585144..comments2024-01-17T04:33:08.243-08:00Comments on My Friend Amy: Interview with Julie Lessman, Author of A Passion DeniedAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515314638093018928noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-82080794736709510592009-05-22T16:12:42.661-07:002009-05-22T16:12:42.661-07:00There's always something new in Julie's interviews...There's always something new in Julie's interviews! That was funny about all that you wanted to include in order to make your book darker. Sometimes agents and editors do know what's best! I'm grateful they recognized your talent, Julie.<br /><br />Francine Rivers and Liz Curtis Higgs, while different, are excellent choices. This has nothing to do with her books, but I've heard Liz speak, and she has an awesome testimony.<br /><br />Thank you again for all these giveaways.<br /><br />cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] netCarolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02691366747122379190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-34200672059830485032009-05-21T22:04:58.764-07:002009-05-21T22:04:58.764-07:00Great interview! These books sound really good an...Great interview! These books sound really good and I like seeing a little edgier Christian romance since it's a nice middle ground from the too much information romances :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-77727155164101377992009-05-21T19:22:28.867-07:002009-05-21T19:22:28.867-07:00Wonderful interview! I love when an author intervi...Wonderful interview! I love when an author interview makes me want to read their books even more because they just seem like such nice or cool people. :)Ameehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01367469639810419455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-91322689415048696262009-05-21T19:10:02.667-07:002009-05-21T19:10:02.667-07:00Enjoyed the interview. Its great to learn more ab...Enjoyed the interview. Its great to learn more about the book(s) and Julie. I am looking forward to reading A Passion Denied this weekend!Nise' https://www.blogger.com/profile/15586400022454009379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-27892673477545211142009-05-21T18:54:48.169-07:002009-05-21T18:54:48.169-07:00CARE, thanks for stopping by and for your sweet co...CARE, thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comment!<br /><br />IBEEEG ... gosh, every time I say your name, I think of a little baby saying how big he/she is and it makes me smile. Is that what it means? And goodness, I certainly want you to read my books too -- thanks!!<br /><br />RHAPSODYINBOOKS ... thanks for dropping in! And I appreciate your comment about my romance stereotypes having basis in fact. I have to admit, the only thing stereotype about my books is the fact that they are a romance (albeit a family-saga-style one) where the characters are pretty attractive. Beyond that, I don't think they are too stereotypical ... ESPECIALLY for romance!<br /><br />RUTH!!! Thank YOU for spending time with the O'Connors this weekend ... give them my love, will ya? :)<br /><br />GABY317 ... oh, I have to admit, my friend, that YOU are just the type of reader I am looking for ... someone who does NOT read Christian fiction/romance on a regular basis. When I can win someone like you over ... and I have, if the letters I receive are any measure ... it is extra sweet because "crossover" into the main market is every CBA writer's dream! Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />RENEE!!! Honey, I really need to put you on the payroll, girl! Thank you for all of your support. And I am SO excited because I just picked up A Bride in the Bargain last weekend!!!<br /><br />Hugs,<br />JulieJulie Lessmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00406395645316139292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-83272318840081816492009-05-21T16:32:50.927-07:002009-05-21T16:32:50.927-07:00I love that I learn something new with every one o...I love that I learn something new with every one of Julie's interviews. I must say that I am really looking forward to the authenticity in her books. Real feeling, real romance,sounds like my kind of book!<br /><br />sherrinda(at)gmail(dot)com #WC OR books(didn't know if I needed to do this everytime or not! ;)Sherrinda Ketchersidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07581676437345249386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-88164451598253277452009-05-21T14:24:33.327-07:002009-05-21T14:24:33.327-07:00What a great interview! I'm glad that Julie L...What a great interview! I'm glad that Julie Lessman was able to have her books published on her terms - that of a passion for God & for romance. In life, I feel there always has to be a balance between the spiritual & the secular and Ms. Lessman seems to have this balance in her books.<br /><br />megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]comCherylS22https://www.blogger.com/profile/16781658506875696406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-17905441339330204182009-05-21T12:12:50.838-07:002009-05-21T12:12:50.838-07:00What a great interview, I'll have to bookmark it a...What a great interview, I'll have to bookmark it and come back to it when I am done reading the books (hint hint to Amy)<br />Thanks!<br />MarieBBurtonReview https://www.blogger.com/profile/15113347274782450564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-35242787571756042812009-05-21T11:18:07.027-07:002009-05-21T11:18:07.027-07:00Great interview,
I like series' where people you'...Great interview, <br />I like series' where people you've previously met keep turning up. I can keep track of what's going on with them.cheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09028962586999938567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-57396353127044811862009-05-21T10:01:31.677-07:002009-05-21T10:01:31.677-07:00Wow I think this interview with Julie may have bee...Wow I think this interview with Julie may have been the best one yet! Great questions Amy! I'm so happy I got to see more about the next series by Julie, I'm SUPER excited!!! I love to read big, thick books so keep the 450+ page books coming...whenever I see a book, believe it or not one of the first things I look at is length...seriously! I'm like, "Oh...this book's only 200 pages...too short!" I think I associate page length with (hopefully) good character development and a juicy plot! Julie's books certainly don't disappoint when it comes to that! I'm always sad when I see a good series come to an end but I'm happy that I haven't seen the last of the O'Connors for a while! :-)As for other edgy inspirational books I think Deeanne Gist's books definitely have that element and they're also really good, i just finished a Bride in the Bargain and...loved it! Thanks again for the great blog Amy and the terrific books Julie!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com<br />http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02701232799625814028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-20308185299772825592009-05-21T08:47:02.034-07:002009-05-21T08:47:02.034-07:00I hadn't heard of Christian fiction/romances and i...I hadn't heard of Christian fiction/romances and it was interesting to read about it in your interview. Now that I think about it, it makes sense as a niche.<br /><br />Thank you for the recommendation of another good author and books to look out for. Please do enter me in your contest!<br /><br />gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT comGaby317https://www.blogger.com/profile/10246618515307982406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-79365911873137902542009-05-21T07:30:38.175-07:002009-05-21T07:30:38.175-07:00Wonderful interview, thank you so much for the gre...Wonderful interview, thank you so much for the great questions, Amy, and thanks to Julie for the terrific in-depth answers! I am planning on spending some time with the O'Connor family over the long weekend. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-29973786002060457342009-05-21T06:41:51.139-07:002009-05-21T06:41:51.139-07:00Great interview Amy! It's reminiscent of the rece...Great interview Amy! It's reminiscent of the recent discussion you hosted on what constitutes Christian fiction. Interesting too, about romance sterotypes having a basis in fact. Thanks for the posting!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-15324905725403612882009-05-21T06:40:45.877-07:002009-05-21T06:40:45.877-07:00Great interview. I so love reading author's thoug...Great interview. I so love reading author's thoughts. I love really like it when couples from a previous book show up in the following books. That they continue on with their story even if it is a background story.<br /><br />I have not read any books in this series. I certainly do want to read them now.<br /><br />#WC<br />ibeeeg(at)gmail(dot)comibeeeghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222760102843468991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-89836888392821446742009-05-21T06:22:12.099-07:002009-05-21T06:22:12.099-07:00Great interview - great comments!Great interview - great comments!Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478474870247729611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-21542826348315629422009-05-21T05:27:14.084-07:002009-05-21T05:27:14.084-07:00Thanks, MEGHAN, for dropping in and leaving a comm...Thanks, MEGHAN, for dropping in and leaving a comment and YES, I absolutely LOVE it when favorite hero/heroine characters don't just make a cameo appearance in the next book but have their own continuing sub-storyline because frankly, I'm not ready to say good-bye to them yet either. Which is why I stress that I don't write romance, I write Historical Family-Saga Romance. BIG difference!!<br /><br />ROSEANNA, I'm so proud of you, girl, hitting the blogs early!! Of course, with little ones, I guess that's the only time you have to do it, right? And, yeah, I wondered how many readers would feel that the shock factor in the published version of Denied would not be enough. We are, after all, in the 21st century where reality shows and an in-your-face society makes us pretty unshockable. But, as my editor so wisely pointed out, maybe I could get away with it in a woman's fiction, but in a CBA romance? Not a chance. Readers are not looking for "dark" in CBA romance, they are looking for uplifting and inspirational. And the original plot was a little too heavy for that, although both my more secular friends and I loved it.<br /><br />And you fell in love at 15???? Gosh, talk about having a history together!! I couldn't get a man to marry me until I was almost 28, and even then, threats were involved ... :)<br /><br />Okay, ROSEANNA, you are the second person who has suggested this book to me, so I'd say that I need to take a look at it for sure, especially since I know your style of writing and love it. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm always looking for "edgy" in the Christian market ... :)<br /><br />Hugs,<br />JulieJulie Lessmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00406395645316139292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-58360607975371092432009-05-21T03:58:44.699-07:002009-05-21T03:58:44.699-07:00Oh, I forgot! (As if my previous wasn't long enoug...Oh, I forgot! (As if my previous wasn't long enough, right?) Another great book in a similarly-honest style, dealing with dark, realistic issues and yet miraculously CBA published is THE PASSION OF MARY-MARGARET by Lisa Samson. AWESOME book, especially for those who want to see both the very dark side of life and the brilliant light of Christ's salvation. You'd love this one, Julie, if you haven't read it yet!Roseanna Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02245767775900250399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-51604624363413771452009-05-21T03:48:30.721-07:002009-05-21T03:48:30.721-07:00Hey, look at me, commenting early today!
First, I...Hey, look at me, commenting early today!<br /><br />First, I am SO looking forward to the ongoing saga, Julie! And praying you get awesome sales on it so that I can say, "Julie Lessman did it!" when I'm pitching my 20s novel at conference, lol. Not that it'll be out by then, but anyway.<br /><br />Ah, glad to get the behind-the-scenes of A PASSION DENIED. I really thought there would be more "deep, dark" about the step-sister, and now I know why, lol. Definitely believable as is, but as someone who likes all that "too dark for CBA" stuff, I naturally assumed the worst;-)<br /><br />As for romantic teens . . . sigh. I'm one of those weird types who counted on falling in love early and yet had no illusions. Seriously. I knew well when I fell in love (at 15) that he (now my husband of 8 years) was far from perfect, and that if we wanted to beat the odds and have a life that went into happily-ever-after, we'd have to work darn hard for it. And so we have. There were plenty of nay-sayers along the way, people who told us we were too young, too this, too that . . . but we knew ourselves, each other, and sought the Lord. Those are the key ingredients in a good relationship/marriage, not one's age. So I'm always glad to see young heroines who (eventually, lol) get it right!Roseanna Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02245767775900250399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-48321568960944668352009-05-21T02:57:46.177-07:002009-05-21T02:57:46.177-07:00Great interview, Amy! I love what Julie has to sa...Great interview, Amy! I love what Julie has to say. I too love it when couples from previous books show up later in a series. It always ties them together very well. And I do agree that many teens/young women probably have a more romantic image of men in their heads than is out there. I know I did and only a long-term relationship, learning the reality of things, changed that.Meghanhttp://chikune.com/blognoreply@blogger.com