Romance, Passion, and Christian Women of Today - A Dialogue with Author Julie Lessman




Do you think women of today can and should wait for marriage before having sex?

Do you think Christian women who aspire to wait are prudes and/or unrealistic?

Do you think women of past generations had it any easier saying no to sex before marriage?




I’m going to discuss those questions here with Julie Lessman and how they relate to her novel, A Passion Most Pure.

Julie and I began talking about what it means to be a Christian woman living in today’s world with all the pressures to be sexually intimate before marriage.

We'd love to have you join us in conversation. Anyone contributing comments will have their name added to a drawing on Sunday, April 13th. The winner will receive an autographed copy of A Passion Most Pure.

But first... here's a short introduction to A Passion Most Pure, Book 1 of The Daughters of Boston series, and one of my favorite romance novels.

As World War I rages across the Atlantic in 1916, a smaller war is brew is brewing in Boston. Faith O’Connor finds herself drawn to an Irish rogue who is anything but right for her. Collin McGuire is brash, cocky, and from the wrong side of the tracks, not to mention forbidden by her father. And then there’s the small matter that he is secretly courting her younger sister. But when Collin’s affections shift, it threatens to tear her proper Boston family apart.


Julie, in the story, Faith struggles with her feelings for Collin, even though their lives and morals are very different. I think many young women are attracted to “bad boys,” hoping they might be able to change them. I experienced a similar situation as a young teenager and learned there was nothing that “I” could do to change that person.

Yes, Dawn, Faith’s attraction to a “bad boy” may not be typical for a Christian Romance, but it certainly is typical for many young women today, especially in our amoral society. And, quite frankly, it was typical for me as a young women as well, just as it was for you. What is it about those bad boys that draws so many women anyway? They’re cocky, rebellious and dangerous—just like sin, I suppose, which is why they lure us so.

But you’re right, you can’t change them, anymore than you can change sin into something good. The best thing a woman can do for a bad boy she’s attracted to is to pray for him – uh, preferably from a distance! As a new Christian in my early twenties, I learned that if I stood my moral ground, the “bad boys” pretty much left me alone, along with the heartache that always seemed to follow them!

Faith meets another man, Mitch, who grows to love her. A woman of passion, Faith still stands firm in her decision to wait on physical intimacy until married. Your book is a historical. Do you think it’s possible for contemporary Christian women to fall in love and still remain true to their convictions of waiting until marriage to be sexually intimate?

Oh my, yes! I know because I’ve lived it, proved it … and ALL during one of the most promiscuous decades of the last century – the 70’s! And it’s not like I was moral from the get-go, either. Like most young people back then, I was a wild child of the 60’s and 70’s who came to the Lord when I was 23, so morality was not something I was used to. Trust me, as a brand-new born-again Christian, it was difficult going from “free love” to “chaste love”! But I had this fire and commitment to God burning inside of me just like my heroine Faith has, and like Faith, I prayed A LOT!

Whenever I went out on date, I would set moral boundaries (just like Faith did with Mitch). I soon discovered when guys realized I meant what I said, most of them didn’t take me out past four dates. This happened once with a guy I particularly liked and had had a lot of fun with, so I actually phoned to ask him why he’d stopped calling. He basically told me that yeah, he’d had a great time, too, but that he could “find a girl who would give him a great time and sex too.” I was stunned, but soon realized that what God’s morality was actually doing for me was keeping the wrong guys away (along with the hurt) and saving me for the right one AND the right time (my honeymoon). And let me tell you—it paid off BIG TIME!! I am celebrating 30 years of wedded bliss to a man who makes me feel as if I am living my own personal romance novel.

What do you say to people who think that women who aspire to wait are prudes and/or unrealistic?

Grin. I’d say they don’t know what they’re talking about! Believe me, there’s nothing prudish about my heroine, Faith O’Connor, just as there was nothing prudish or unrealistic about me as a new Christian in my twenties. We’re talking real women with real desires trusting God’s Word to lead them to His best. Easy? No. Doable? Yes, with God’s grace! Before I was a Christian, I was honest enough to know that doing things my way had never yielded me any happiness, only heartbreak. But, WOW, once I started applying God’s precepts, the blessings started to flow and heartbreak took a hike.

You see, I like to think of God as Milton Bradley. He made the game of “Life” and wants us to win (reap His blessings), so he gave us the rules to follow (His precepts). In fact, this is the key message in A Passion Most Pure—Deuteronomy 30, choosing life or death, blessing or curse. It’s really quite simple. If you choose life (doing things God’s way), you will be blessed. If you choose death (doing things your own way), you will be cursed. God didn’t set it up like this to “lord” it over us, no pun intended, but so He could bless us with good things simply because He LOVES us!

This realization came full circle one morning seven years into my marriage. I was still half asleep and feeling down about a nightmare I had. In the dream, I’d been single and depressed about the fact that no one would ever love me. I had been the only unmarried one in a family of thirteen kids until I was 28 years old, so the loneliness and despair in that dream felt more than real! All of a sudden my husband moved in the bed beside me, and the following Scripture drifted in my mind as gently as a whisper from God: “God honors those who honor Him.” I remember lying there with tears in my eyes because once again, God had proved His Word true.

I don’t think many women understand the spiritual connection that happens when two people are sexually intimate and how much of themselves they’re really giving away.

I totally agree—most women don’t understand the spiritual connection that happens when two people are sexually intimate. To a lot of women, I think, it’s just a physical thing, but the Bible says that in God’s eyes, the two become one flesh. And when God is looking at it like that, trust me, it’s VERY spiritual! I kind of have a theory about all of this. The Bible says we are made in God’s image, male and female, so when a man and woman become one flesh, I personally believe that it is a spiritual unity symbolic of God. That said, I truly believe that sex is as spiritual as it is physical, at least in God’s eyes. And when a woman gives that away so casually, outside of God’s precepts, I believe she loses not only incredible blessings from God, but part of her spiritual self as well, making her a little emptier than before.

Do you think the world in general understands that Christian women are no different when it comes to having passion and desiring it in a relationship?

No, I don’t think the world in general does understand this. I think they perceive Christians as “goody-two-shoes” cardboard cut-outs rather than flesh-and-blood human beings who have made the difficult choice to follow their God rather than their flesh. We all live in the same world here, bombarded by sexual images in a self-gratifying society, but Christians have chosen the narrow road that Jesus talked about. When I meet a woman who has done this and stays true to God’s precepts, I am blessed and inspired.

In the book, God blesses Faith for not giving in to her passion and desires before the time is right.

Yes, because I believe with all my heart that that is EXACTLY what happens! For Heaven’s sake, I’ve lived it! I KNOW that “God is rewarder of those who seek Him” and that He “honors those who honor Him.” I may have written that message into a fictional story, but the truth of it has been more than real in my own life.

It’s not only unusual—it’s refreshing—to find a novel that includes a married couple who still experience passion in their relationship. Patrick and Marcy demonstrate their love with physical intimacy, but there’s only beauty and purity in their actions. You wrote the scenes with such taste. I love how they interact with each other in and out of the bedroom.

Thank you, Dawn. For me, Marcy and Patrick’s relationship was one of the most important aspects of this book. As a baby boomer, I get tired of the young people getting all the romance! But seriously, I actually had a close friend whose marriage is not very good tell me that she loved the book, but she thought that Marcy and Patrick’s relationship was a little unrealistic. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that is exactly the relationship that God has blessed my husband and me with. So I know that it is possible, but NOT without adherence to God’s precepts! “Wives, respect your husbands”! Not always easy, but application of this precept can unleash blessings galore in most marriages. Marcy and Patrick’s marriage was not perfect—no marriage is. But when God is at the center, I honestly believe that most marriages can truly become all that God intended them to be.

I appreciate the risk you took in pushing the boundaries of sexual tension for historical Christian romance. It makes the story even more relevant to today’s woman.

Gosh, I felt compelled to! Today’s women are floundering in a sea of promiscuity. Most young women today live with their boyfriends before marriage, and what a sad commentary on today’s society! Nine out of ten women in the U.S. profess some form of Christianity, yet the majority will never pick up an Inspirational novel. Why? Because many don’t feel they can relate to a story without realistic sexual tension. It is my hope and prayer that by writing a novel that is more relevant to the temptations women face today, I can reach them with the truth of God’s precepts applied to their lives, not only romantically, but in every way.

Thanks, Julie, for being willing to share your personal story and how it relates to the novel. I can’t wait to read Book 2 in The Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Redeemed (Coming Fall 2008) and Book 3, A Passion Denied (Coming Spring 2009)

To read more about Julie and her upcoming releases visit her website at http://www.julielessman.com/

If you’d like to be eligible to win a copy of A Passion Most Pure, please post a comment and leave your email info (without the @ and . Example: dawnkinzer at comcast dot net) to avoid spammers or something else from glomming on to your email address!

We look forward to hearing from you!
Dawn

46 comments:

  1. Wow, what a great interview! Thanks for sharing, Julie.

    Don't enter me. I have the book and just finished it!!! It was so well written. And I--

    Oops. Almost gave a spoiler! :)

    Dawn, you have a great blog! I love the header. I'm such a night owl, too!

    Missy

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  2. Thanks for visiting, Missy!

    It's always nice to meet another night owl. :)

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  3. Ooo... I'd love to read the book.
    designer_blitz at yahoo dot com dot au

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  4. Thanks for covering this topic in relation to Julie's book. I know you're talking about women, but I think when we're teen girls is when we struggle the most with our choices in the beginning. The peer pressure is crazy as opposed to when you're older. They don't understand everything that changes and what they carry around with them for the rest of their lives. They can't grasp the preciousness of that gift until they give it to their husband. I on the other hand I gave that gift away too many times so I understand how precious and priceless that gift is. If I can instill in my girls AND boys the huge benefit and blessing of saving themselves, I will consider parenting a success (of course them having Jesus as their Savior ranks #1). To Julie's dismay maybe, I didn't find she pushed boundries. They kissed...it's just that inside you, you could feel the passion. Characters kiss in lots of Christian novels, it was just different, in a great, way in this novel.

    Please enter me to win a copy of this GREAT book!

    Blessings,
    Mimi

    mnjesusfreak[at]gmail.com

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  5. That is all so true. As a woman who's just turned twenty-five, I'm surrounded by single younger friends (non-christians) for who sexual promiscuity is normal. And I want to read your book so bad. For the longest time, before I was married and after, there were not a whole lot of Christian romances that I wanted to read because everything seemed fake. I'm so happy with how the Christian industry is starting to be more realistic without compromising Christian values. Thanks Julie, for writing real people with real feelings, living with real faith. I can't wait to read your book. (I'm married to a former bad boy, and man, it's an adventure)

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  6. I love this book! Definitely one of my favorites! I think passion and purity are dealt with very realistically and in a godly way, which I love. God will always make a way! Both in love and in publishing!

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  7. I don' think Julie looks old enough to be a wild child of the 70's. I read the book and loved it and can't wait to read some more of hers. Enter me in the drawing for sure. Julie I'm wondering how many times it took before you got someone to publish it? And I've said everywhere else and I'll say it here also the book is a Christian version of Gone With the Wind. Shellie

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  8. An amazing interview. I almost wish my girls were old enough to read this. Such a valuable moral message!

    When they're old enough I'll have to have them read Passion Most Pure.

    Please do enter me into the draw. eileenastels at rogers dot com.

    Thanks for the great interview!

    Eileen

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  9. Mimi, I was thinking the exact thing about my boys. I have a girl and two boys, and I was thinking that I want ALL of them to wait and save sexual intimacy for the special person God intends for them to marry.

    Missy

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  10. What an uplifting interview!

    Thanks, Julie, for sharing your testimony and a word of Truth.

    gina

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  11. I've already got the book...and I loved A Passion Most Pure...so don't put me in the drawing.

    I think, seriously, A Passion Most Pure has a chance to be a truly enduring book. I is wise and fun, fast paced, a tear jerker, it works on all levels as well an any book I've read in a long time.

    God bless you for writing it, Julie, and Revell for publishing it. I can't wait for the sequel

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  12. Ditto Shellie's comment about Julie not looking her age! I'm shocked to learn she's as old as she is (I did the math - single till 28, married 30 years...!)

    It's sad how people (of all ages) glibly accept living together before or instead of getting married. And have babies without marriage. All parents of girls who strive to teach them better morals and convictions are to be highly commended. But what about those bad boys? My parents used to say of my brother and his girlfriend, "let her mother worry about it." Well, my brother was 1/2 that (sexually active) equation and my parents were shirking their responsibility. It seems that, around here at least, many parents of boys feel they don't have to teach them any moral values in regards to sex. Afterall, boys don't get pregnant.

    But they do - not literally, of course. When a boy gets his girlfriend pregnant that baby is his for the rest of the child's life. Not just until he breaks up with the girlfriend. Parents need to teach boys, too, not just girls!

    Sorry, that's my soap box for today :-) I'm sure as Christians all of us are teaching our boys and girls good moral values. Can we get permission to whack some other parents over the head and make them see the light? LOL

    I'd love to be entered in the drawing for Julie's book. tdinishowen at aol dot com

    Thanks Julie and Dawn
    Tammy

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  13. oh, I so want to read this book! And I appreciate your transparancy on your own experience. I had a similar experience. I so hope I win this drawing! I am also going to forward this blog to everyone I know. Thank you for talking about such a difficult subject.
    johanna
    peterzipp at comcast dot net

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  14. Hey Missy, Ruthie, Mimi, Jessica, Melanie and Shellie -- thanks SO much for stopping by and for your great comments!

    Missy, you little minx, so glad you didn't let the cat out of the bag!!

    Ruthie, I hope you do get a chance to read APMP ... who knows, maybe as a result of winning this giveaway?

    Mimi, you sweetheart -- just LOVE your heart for God!! And, no, I am not dismayed that you feel I didn't push the boundaries -- it's actually a relief. I'm so used to some people taking pot shots at me lately for writing a novel that I feel is true to my heart yet they feel is over the top, that I am grateful for comments like yours. My intent NEVER was to go over the top, only to present the truth -- both that of God's Word and the reality of human temptation and frailty today and yesterday.

    Jessica, I've had some pretty tearful slams of late, so your comment is truly balm to my battered soul! My heart goes out to young women of your generation because it IS so tough to stay strong for Christ in today's whirlpool of anything goes. It's women your age that I LONG to reach, women just like I used to be. Christ took me from the dark to His glorious light, and I hope and pray that somehow, someway, my books can turn on the "Light" for others like me.

    Amen, Melanie -- God WILL make a way, both in love and (grin), publishing, as you will soon find out, my friend.

    Oh, Shellie, I'm liking you more and more all the time!! First you liken my book to a "Christian Gone With the Wind" (rapid pulse here), THEN you say I don't look old enough to be a wild child of the 70's. Gosh, I'd say you're bucking for a free book if I didn't know you already read it! Thank you, Shel, but all the thanks for the photo goes to a great photographer who is VERY good at Photoshop!! :)

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  15. Hello there! I am excited to read this book -- since as another person mentioned I certainly was a "giver" during my early college years. I've now moved further into my travels of Christianity, and am currently abstaining (abet the fact its already been "given up"!). My email is: anreyn at wm DOT edu

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  16. Great interview, Dawn & Julie! Thanks for your openness on this sensitive subject, and especially for presenting it from a truly Christian perspective.

    Loved PMP and can't wait to read the next books in the series!

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  17. Julie, you'd like to reach young women struggling with 'passion' issues. Which is great, I'm not slamming that desire. All Christian authors are hoping to positively effect someone in need.

    But I have a question that would be great to hear multiple opinions about. Do you think young women can read a historical novel and feel that it applies to their modern lives? I can do that, but I'm not a young woman anymore! Dawn asked if you thought it was easier for women in the past to be pure. I'll extend that - do you think young people believe it was easier?

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  18. Tammy, that's a great question, and ladies, this was a wonderful interview.

    Jules, your faith, beauty and spirit shine for all to see. Great work, great book.

    Pass my entry onto the Ruthie above...

    Give her an extra shot at PMP...

    And Missy, hush, you! No giving things away!

    Ruthy

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  19. Eileen said: When they're old enough I'll have to have them read Passion Most Pure. Ah, future market ... thanks, Eileen!!

    Missy, two times today?? Mmm ... must be the subject matter ... :)

    Gina, and thank YOU for your "uplifting" comment, my friend!

    Gosh, Mare, talk about "tear jerker," you're gonna make me cry! Thanks, you sweetheart, you!

    Whoa, Tammy, you and Shellie are making points here with those age comments!! Now don't gasp when you see me close up at ACFW, okay? Can't Photoshop real wrinkles, you know! (Although I'm married to an artist and God knows I tried!). And I totally agree about the bad boys -- we parents need to mold those boys toward morality as much as the girls. The "soapbox" is open, girl, so preach it!!

    Johanna, thank you for your kind comment AND for sending this blog to "everyone you know." Grin. Maybe not your Christmas-card list, but godly girlfriends would be nice. :)

    And good for you, Sleepless, I am soooo proud of you, and even better, God is proud of you! And you're still a giver -- you're giving to HIM your obedience, which He equates with love (John 14:21). Better duck ... blessings are coming your way!!

    Myra, my friend, thank you for coming by and for your loving support.

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  20. Anonymous2:00 PM

    Excellent post, Julie and I appreciate your candor.

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  21. Hi Tammy and yeah, I do think young people today believe it was easier to stay pure in the past, which actually is a pretty dangerous mindset. Kind of like trying to diet on vacation -- it's just sooo hard because the food looks sooo good and nobody diets on vacation, right? Does that make it harder to follow God's precepts on morality? You bet. But Romans 5:20 says, "where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more," which means God KNOWS it's harder and gives more grace to cover the believer who is trying to live for Him.

    I believe the real key, however, whether it's today amoral society or my free-love era of the 70s, is passion for God and a keen awareness that living His way is THE "key" to unlocking blessings galore, not only in our sexuality, but in our lives as a whole.

    Anybody else want to jump in on this question?

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  22. Ruthy and Tina, soooo glad you could drop by!! I really appreciate your kind comments and support!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  23. I love the transparency of this interview, Julie.

    Dawn, great blog!

    Cheryl Wyatt

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  24. I really enjoyed reading this interview - I think the questions raised are very important. As a writer, I understand the reasons for and am willing to abide by the limits on language and intimacy in Christian fiction, but I honestly wonder if, by not showing the true extent of the temptation of pre-marital intimacy (and the ways in which God guides us through said temptation) that we are doing a disservice to unmarried women. Some might read inspirational romances and end up thinking that though the stories have a lot of value, they don't properly address the reality of relationships.

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  25. What a fabulous and important discussion. Very needed in every realm, but especially among Christians.

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  26. This is exactly what Julie and I hoped for - lively, honest discussion.

    I think too often it's forgotten - or ignored - that as Christian women we're not immune to sexual desires. We still need and want physical intimacy. We struggle with temptation just like everyone else does.

    But, hopefully the difference is that we've either learned either by our own experiences, or the experiences of others, that intimacy is at it's best when blessed by God within the context of marriage.

    If there's a way for us to share that knowledge with other women, that's a wonderful and powerful thing.

    And Julie and I believe one of the ways for us to do that is to weave the message through great Christian fiction and stories that touch hearts.

    I appreciate everyone's comments. Keep them coming!

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  27. Thanks so much, Cheryl, for stopping by and commenting!

    Lindsay and Linda, thank you too! I couldn't agree more. Dawn raised some very important questions in a much-needed forum, in my opinion, not only for Christian fiction, but for Christian women everywhere who battle the moral dilemmas of today's promiscuous society.

    And Dawn, thank you for a wonderful opportunity to explore this sensitive subject in the light of God's precepts.

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  28. Wonderful interview, ladies!

    Julie, may you be blessed for encouraging young women to wait for God's blessings.

    Hugs to you both~

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  29. Wow! What a fantastic interview. I've been working on revisions for book 3 all week so wasn't able to drop by until now.

    Julie, you gave a great interview, and Dawn, you're fabulous for hosting her and developing those thought-provoking and poignant questions.

    I'll be honest and say that despite temptations, I remained pure until I was 30 years old and married the love of my life, who was also pure! You want to talk about blessings galore? I could share quite a few from our marriage and newly entwined lives. One thing is certain...I would most likely never have succeeded had it not been for my faith in God and obedience to His precepts.

    This interview is one that should be saved and used to reach those young girls and women who are struggling with this issue. Historical fiction or not, the lessons in the book are relevant.

    However, I might agree with the idea that modern young women today might not find it relevant for them. Only God knows. But, perhaps you can speak on this topic to groups of younger girls and have your book available if any would like to read it.

    I could say a lot more, but it's late here in the Rockies, and I should wrap up to get to bed.

    Oh, and don't enter me in the drawing. I have a copy and intend to have Julie sign it at ACFW -- when I can get a break from signing my own. Woo-hoo! First ACFW book signing after attending for 5 years. Praise God!

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  30. Margo, thank you, my friend ... I will take those blessings and send some right back to you!

    Tiff, YOU are a WONDEFUL (and recent, unlike myself) example of God's Precepts = Blessing in the romance arena!! I am sooo proud of you and THRILLED for your blessing.

    And I guess I will find out how "relevant" young girls of today feel about this message as I am speaking this week to a junior and senior creative writing class at my old Catholic high school! YIKES!! This is the school I attended when I dressed up like a nun to go see a special showing of Gone With the Wind (for nuns and priests), then got caught by the nuns!! Anyway, my knees are knocking at the prospect, so say one for me, will ya? :)

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  31. Julie, somehow it doesn't surprise me that you tried to pull one over the nuns. LOL!

    We've been focusing on young - and a bit older - women waiting for physical intimacy until marriage.

    Yesterday, I received an email from a mom of two men in their early twenties who are struggling with the pressures of becoming sexually active. One of the young men broke up with his girlfriend because of her past experiences and the pressure she was putting on him. He's made the decision to put off dating. The mom wishes there was more encouragement for males to wait.

    This spurred a short discussion with my hubby. He's also concerned for the men who want to lead Godly lives and what they're faced with in trying to do just that.

    These are valid points. Men and women need to help each other in this area.

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  32. PLease enter me into the drawing for the book! I'd love to read it.
    Chandra

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  33. Fabulous interview, girls! My hubby and I are proof you can wait (excrutiating as it wass - LOL!!) and 15 years later have three gorgeous little girls we hope and pray will do the same.

    Thanks for raising this vital discussion :)

    I also have a copy so don't enter me.

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  34. Hey Chandra,

    Glad you got a chance to get over here! Thanks for leaving a comment!

    Thanks, Rel, for stopping by and for your kind words. Oh, I just LOVE hearing stories like yours, my friend!! Proof positive that God's precepts work!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  35. Anonymous7:46 PM

    Julie,

    I love your book! I loved meeting you the other night at your book signing! Keep writing and sharing your heart with us. Never be ashamed of what God lays on your heart to share through your books. I'm anxiously waiting the next book. I'm already going through withdrawals since I finished APMP! I miss the O'Connor family. :)

    Richest of Blessings, Bergen

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  36. I am so looking forward to read this book! I believe that God created passion for us to enjoy with that one special person He has chosen for us.
    Following that statement then, I have a hard time with books where the H and h act like brother and sister throughout the story and then on the last page kiss and decide they want to get married and start a family.
    Yes, we should abstain until marriage, but if you don't show the attraction, it's not realistic.

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  37. BERGEN!!!! Can't believe you dropped by and left a comment -- thank you soooo much! And thank you, too, for coming to my book signing last week -- it was so great meeting you! I appreciate your support and kind comments more than I can say. Hope to meet again this Sept. when I do another book signing at Borders Sunset Hills for Book 2!!

    Anita Mae, I couldn't agree more. One of my pet peeves as a romance reader is when the first kiss comes 3/4 through the book OR at the very end and there is no emotion attached. As a diehard romance reader, I prefer a more realistic approach, but that's me. There is a market for everyone. Thanks for your comment, Anita Mae!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  38. I'm just over halfway through with the book. Faith and Mitch are about to meet for the first time. As a single young Christian woman, this book is extremely relevant for me. I've been where Faith is and had my heart completely crushed by the man I loved when he proposed to someone else. (the wrong someone else and he's still paying for it because he didn't wait)

    I'm 25 and still looking and waiting for my Prince Charming.

    I am so very glad to see a book like this finally get published. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging passion and tension in a relationship.

    Marcy and Patrick's relationship reminds me very much of my own parents' relationship. I'm so glad to see a marriage like that depicted in a book. It's so rare these days.

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  39. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who wants realism in romance.

    Ooops...I forgot to leave my info and I do want to be added to the draw...
    contact me at
    the dot way at sasktel dot net
    Thank you.

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  40. Rachel, oooooh, you're getting to the part where it really picks up steam! Thank you for your comment! It means so much because I wrote it for women just like you who love God but live in the real world where human beings are tempted and tossed about by emotion and the pull of sin. I truly believe that applying God's precepts to our lives, including our sexuality, unleashes blessings untold. And who knows, one of those "blessings" could very well be your Prince Charming! :)

    Grin. Anita Mae, I'm glad to see you're not the only one who wants realism in romance either! :)

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  41. Hi Dawn and Julie,

    This is such a great interview! I couldn't help leaving a comment (though please don't enter me in the drawing, because I already have Julie's book and it should go to someone else who may not).

    I loved how real Julie's book was and how real this interview is. Thanks to both of you!

    Annette M. Irby
    www.annetteirby.com

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  42. Hi, Annette -- So good to "see" you again! And, yes, I think "real" is real important in today's superficicial world -- both in relationships AND in romance! Thanks for your comment and for stopping by.

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  43. At seeing 42 comments ahead of me, I'm a little skittish to enter. But I cannot tell you how important a novel like this is to me and to every young woman that I might be able to share it with. Please do enter me for a chance to win.

    cherryblossommj at gmail (dot) com

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  44. Cherryblossommmj, don't let the # of comments scare you -- many of them are mine and Dawn's, and we don't count!! :) And you know the old saying -- you can't win if you don't enter! Good luck!

    Hugs,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  45. I finished it last night. Stayed up till nearly 1 because I couldn't put it down! This book ranks as one of the best I have EVER read and one of the best historical novels I've ever read. Anybody who says historicals don't address issues relevant to today obviously hasn't read Passion yet.

    September and Charity's story can't get here soon enough.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Okay, Rachel sweetheart, where do I send the check??? Holy cow, you made my night, my week, heck, my month! Thank you soooo much for the glowing review!!! I am so blessed by people like you who obviously like what I like -- lots of passion, first for God, then for romance! And whoa, when you mix it all together, LOOK OUT!! :)

    I don't know if you are inclined to posting reviews on Amazon.com or Christianbooks.com, but if you are, (and ONLY if you are!) I would love to see a brief review of how you felt about the book. Doesn't have to be long AT ALL ... just honest. And truly ... if posting reviews is NOT your thing, do NOT feel like you have to, okay?? It won't hurt my feelings either way. It's just when I do get a great review like yours, I like to ask so I can counter the awful 1-star review that took my ranking down.

    Thank you again, Rachel, for your kind, WONDERFUL comment.

    Hugs,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete


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