Welcome to the Blog Tour for What’s the Story, Morning Glory? by Julie Lessman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Book
Title: What’s the Story, Morning Glory?
Author: Julie Lessman
Publisher: Julie Lessman LLC
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Memoir Devotional (half fiction/half nonfiction)
“DEAR LORD, JULIE … OUR WHOLE LIFE IS IN THIS BOOK!”
My heart went out to my sweet husband as he walked into our kitchen one day with a noticeable gulp, ashen-faced after reading my latest novel.“Yes, I know, babe,” I said with a repentant smile and a conciliatory hug, “but nobody really knows that.”
Ahem. Until now …Trust me, “What’s the Story, Morning Glory? A Memoir Devotional with a ‘Novel’ Approach to Practical Christianity ” is not a book I wanted to write. As a novelist, I have never been partial to nonfiction, either reading it or writing it, but I had little choice when God convinced me otherwise through a number of point-blank arm-twistings I couldn’t deny and not-so-gentle proddings from family and friends.
Despite all the encouragement, I wasn’t really sure where to begin. “It will be fiction and nonfiction combined,” the Holy Spirit whispered within, and just like that, the idea for this book took flight. First, I would tell my “real” and very personal story behind the life-lesson stories in my novels, then I would follow it up with the excerpt from my books where I teach that same life lesson to my characters, finally culminating in corresponding Scriptures, a bulleted “Takeaway” list, and a related prayer.
Thus, What’s the Story, Morning Glory: A Memoir Devotional with a “Novel” Approach to Practical Christianity was born. A memoir devotional that when combined with scenes from my novels, becomes a “novotional” where I relate the life lessons God personally taught me through His Word. I am simply a child of God who applied these lessons and Biblical precepts to every situation in my life and consequently, saw nonstop answers to prayer and blessings galore. It is my profound hope and prayer that through my own very simple and personal stories and examples, I can do the same for others. Therefore, the format for each chapter of this book will be as
1. The Real Story (How I learned and applied the spiritual lesson in my own life)
2. The Novel Story (The scene where I teach the spiritual lesson to my characters)
3. The Scripture Story (Scriptures applicable to the spiritual lesson)
4. The Takeaway Story (Bulletized points for spiritual lesson in easy-to-read/apply format)
5. The Prayer Story (Specific prayer related to the spiritual lesson)
I pray this bottom-line, albeit somewhat quirky, 1-2-3 devotional blesses you as much as God’s spiritual life lessons have blessed me!
Hugs,
Julie Lessman
Excerpt
“God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.”
~1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NLT
Chapter Eight
From Promiscuity to Purity: Being Single in an Amoral World
1.) The Real Story:
“What do you mean, ‘it’s different with me?’” I skidded to a stop in my boyfriend’s driveway on the way to his Corvette, rooted to the asphalt like the lamppost by the steps to his house. He’d just had the audacity to brag about how proud he was of his little sister because “she was still a virgin.”
“Come on, Julie, she’s my sister, so of course it’s different.”
Yeah, it was different all right. She was the one he admired and respected because she was moral while I was merely the girlfriend who gave him whatever he wanted free of charge.
No morals.
No respect.
No peace.
Being a product of the “Free Love” era of the 60’s and 70’s, I wasn’t a Christian back then and bore a major grudge against God, but even I could see the disparity between the two, something that literally rocked me to the core.
I think that was the beginning of a seed of understanding for me that God’s precepts—His morality instead of the world’s amorality—was the way of life instead of death, like Deuteronomy 30:15-16 NIV so succinctly states:
“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.”
The “understanding” ramped up to a whole new level after Joy brought me to the Lord and told me sleeping with my boyfriend was sin.
“God never shows me that in the Bible,” I argued, chin thrust high as I defended my version of “Bible roulette”—a haphazard method of opening the Bible to read just anywhere, somehow never coming upon passages on sexual sin. Which obviously meant they weren’t for me, right?
Head drops in hand.And, yes, I really was that stupid. But then the world’s amorality makes you stupid, blinding you to the blessings of God.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
Also Available
About The Author
Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys writing close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.
Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 21 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2014, Best of 2015, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-20, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. Her independent novel A Light in the Window was an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers’ Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner.
Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets.Connect with Julie by visiting julielessman.com to follow her on social media, read both romantic and spiritual excerpts from her books, or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, a character named after you in Julie’s next book & a signed paperback copy of that book, plus a signed paperback copy of What’s the Story, Morning Glory!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 24, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 1, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print copies. Gift card open to all locales. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
I am excited for this one! I also subscribe to Journal Jots.
LOL, Kate, you have more names than anyone I know, so you deserve to win! 😉 Thanks for your diligence AND your support!
Hugs,
Julie
Sounds great.
Hey, Rita, I like your persistence, girlfriend, so here’s to a win!
Hugs,
Julie
BECKIE!! Thank you SO much for being part of my blog tour!
Hugs,
Julie
You are very welcome!
thanks so much for spotlighting Julie’s devotional today! 🙂
JustReadTours, you guys are AMAZING!!
Hugs,
Julie
I’ve preordered What’s the Story, Morning Glory because I love Julie Lessman’s novels. Now a “quirky” devotional?! Yes, I know it will be filled with honest, heartfelt lessons of learning to walk with our Lord. Blessings!
Sherida! I am pulling for you, girl, so good luck in the contest!
Hugs,
Julie
Thank You for the reviews
Marion
Hey, Marion, here’s hoping for a win!
Hugs,
Julie
Thank you for the reviews
Hey, JCP — you’re rackin’ up those points, my friend, so good luck in the contest!
Hugs,
Julie
Hey, JCP, thank you for your diligence! Hope it nets you a win!
Hugs,
Julie
Sounds very interesting.
Thanks, Shelly, for coming by! Here’s to a win.
Hugs,
Julie
Thanks for coming by and good luck in the contest, Shelly!
Hugs,
Julie
Sounds like a great read.
Thanks, Lisa, I hope so! Here’s hoping you get to find out with the winning copy!
Hugs,
Julie
Hey, Lisa, here’s hoping you get to find out with a winning copy!
Hugs,
Julie
This looks like a book I will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for sharing.
And thank YOU, Sidlaw for coming by. Good luck in the draw!
Hugs,
Julie
Sidlaw, thanks for checking out all the reviews–good luck in the contest!
Hugs,
Julie
Julieeeeeeeeee!
Love you. Literally been reading you on the blog tour
Can’t wait to read your book !
Aw, Debra, thank you SO much, my sweet friend–MUCH appreciated! Here’s to a win!
Hugs,
Julie
Hey, Debra, glad you’re getting in on the giveaway that ends tonight, so good luck, my friend!
Hugs,
Julie