Announcements

Our next Coffee and Books event will be on October 5th from 9:00-10:00am EST. Enjoy an hour of book talk with authors Julie Lessman, Misty M. Beller, and Lynn Shannon. This is a free event, but you do need to register to save your spot. Head over to www.literaryscape.com/events to register today. We look forward to seeing you on October 5th!

We are also running a survey during the month of September where readers can help us schedule our 2025 Coffee and Books events. Vote for the best day and time. Then tell us which authors you would like to meet. The survey goes out each Friday in our newsletter. If you are not signed up, head on over to www.literaryscape.com/newsletter and sign-up today.

Authors we are offering two sessions this month on writing book proposals. Kylee Woodley and Terry Whalin will be joining us on September 14th and 19th. If you cannot make it to one, then join us for the other or both as these two experts share the how and why behind writing a book proposal that catches the eye of an agent. Full details and registration can be found at www.literaryscape.com/events. These events are free for our Editing HCRW members and just $17 for anyone who would like to join the training session. We hope to see you there.

The Unwavering Faith crowdfunding campaign is off to a great start. I am thankful for everyone who has purchased a book. At the time of this recording, we are just 37 books away from unlocking the first bonus item. Please consider sharing this campaign with others as we work toward the goal of publishing Unwavering Faith.

A huge thank you to Julie Williams for purchasing a limited-edition copy of Unwavering Faith!

I want to congratulate one of our very own HCRW members, Carrie Hachadurian for winning the ACFW Genesis award in the historical category. This is a huge accomplishment and well deserved as Carrie is an outstanding author. I have no doubt we will be seeing more from her soon. I encourage our listeners to follow Carrie’s journey by signing up for her newsletter at the link provided in the show notes.

We also had several author friends who were finalists in the ACFW Carol awards. Authors Sarah Sundin, Linda Sammaritan, Hannah Linder, Misty M.Beller, and Lynn Blackburn. Congratulations ladies for being finalists. And congratulations Lynn Blackburn for winning the Carol Award for the romantic suspense category. Be sure follow these amazing authors by signing up for their newsletter. Links to each of their websites are listed in the show notes.

Alright, that’s it for announcements. Let’s jump into this week’s author interview with Julie Lessman.

Episode Notes

In this conversation, Melissa and Julie Lessman discuss the Heart of San Francisco series. They talk about their favorite characters, the family dynamics in the books, and the themes of waiting for the right man and the power of prayer. Julie shares some behind-the-scenes insights, including historical facts she included in the books. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Melissa discuss the quirky elements in Julie's books, the twists and surprises, and the impact they had on readers. They also talk about Julie's new devotional book and her initial resistance to writing nonfiction. Julie shares the process of writing the devotional and the spiritual attacks she faced. They also discuss Julie's future writing plans and how readers can stay connected with her through her newsletter and social media.

Takeaways

• The older couple, Uncle Logan and Caitlin McClare, are Julie's favorite characters in the series.

• The family dynamics and relationships are a strong theme throughout the books.

• The series explores the themes of waiting for the right man and the power of prayer.

• Julie includes historical facts and details in her books to add depth and authenticity. Quirky elements in books can add depth and soften characters

• Twists and surprises in stories can engage and captivate readers

• Writing nonfiction can be challenging, but it can have a powerful impact

• The process of writing a devotional book can be spiritually challenging

• Staying connected with readers through newsletters and social media is important for authors