About This Episode

A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman: Cousins O'Connor Book 4 Author Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Julie Lessman is back on the LiteraryScape Podcast! This time, we're digging deeper into A Whim and a Prayer, the fourth book in The Cousins O'Connor series. Did you miss our first conversation? You can catch that episode here.

In this heartfelt follow-up, Julie shares the scenes closest to her heart. She also opens up about clean romance, faith, and a tender moment she never saw coming. Stay to the end for a sneak peek excerpt, a $50 giveaway, and exciting book club news.

About the Book: A Whim and a Prayer (The Cousins O'Connor #4)

Title: A Whim and a Prayer

Series: The Cousins O'Connor #4

Author: Julie Lessman

Publisher: Independent

Release Date: September 8, 2026

Genre: Historical Romance

She's a former orphan desperate to protect her heart.

He's a best friend who protects her from the start.

Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart.

Discarded like so much trash on the steps of an orphanage at age two, seventeen-year-old Winifred Dennehy thinks God has it out for her. Abandoned by abusive parents and born cross-eyed to boot, she spent the first four years of her life battling bullies and verbal abuse. Deliverance came in the form of one Beckett Campbell, the ten-year-old orphan who became her best friend and guardian angel for life, along with an orphanage volunteer by the name of Mrs. D. When Mrs. Charity Dennehy adopts Winnie into her family, has her crossed eyes fixed, and secretly arranges for Beckett to be fostered and then adopted by elderly neighbors down the street, Winnie figures her luck has changed. But instead of attributing it to God like Beckett does, she's inclined to believe it's her own grit, charm, and spontaneity that has paved the way.

From the moment twenty-four-year-old Beckett Campbell saw the tiny, cross-eyed orphan who reminded him of the sister he lost, he wanted to love and protect her forever. Best friends from the start despite over five years apart, Winnie's naïve spontaneity for wild hairs and whims keeps Beck's mature responsibility busy and happily so. Until the little girl he wanted to protect suddenly becomes the young woman he wants to love. When Winnie insists on protecting their friendship from the fear and risk of anything more, Beck has a decision to make. Friendship forever … or a life apart from the best friend he loves. Praying that Winnie will change her mind, Beck doesn't hold out much hope for that day. But when an unexpected turn of events alters both of their lives, it puts "a whim and a prayer" on a collision course that just might make a way.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

More in The Cousins O'Connor Series

A Hope and a Prayer | A Dare and a Prayer | Explore all of Julie's books

Read an Excerpt from A Whim and a Prayer

EXCERPT #1 FOR A WHIM AND A PRAYER

"For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope."

~ Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

Prologue

The Boston Society for the Care of Girls,

Boston, Massachusetts, September 1933

"Ewww … get away from me, you frog-eyed frea—"

Whop! Before the insult could even part from Harold Mertz's lips, five-year-old Winifred Doe's worn leather shoe aimed dead center on his patched corduroy pants, eliciting a harsh grunt that doubled the eight-year-old orphan over with a loud groan.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Winifred "Fred" Doe launched onto Harold's head like a rabid monkey, slamming him to the black-and-white linoleum floor with a loud thud, pummeling away like her life depended on it.

Because it did.

"Help! Get h-her off m-me," Harold sobbed while attempting to crawl away, fear straining his tone as tears streamed from his eyes. "Stop!"

But Winifred couldn't. Not until she felt the firm pull of a familiar tug, dragging her kicking and screaming backwards across the scuffed cafeteria floor as wide-eyed children and adults stared in shock, crowding around Harold like he was the one in need.

"Let me go—I'm gonna kill him!" she hissed, bucking and thrashing while someone quietly hauled her into the dim coatroom. "Let … me … go … now!"

But she knew he wouldn't. Once inside the dark, away from the mumbles and murmurs, he'd just swallow her up in his skinny arms and gently rock her back and forth like she was some sniveling snot baby.

"Shhh … it's all right, Winnie," he'd whisper, the scent of the Hershey kisses she shared only with him drifting against her cheek as he held her close, "he's not worth it."

"I tell you, she's not worth the air that she breathes …"

Winnie shivered, and those skinny arms only held on tighter while his voice sought to soothe. "Trust me—they're the freaks, not you …"

"… oughta drown the little freak in the river like a rabies cat …"

"I promise you, Winnie, you're worth more than the whole lot of them …"

And somehow, with those softly spoken words from the lips of the only boy she trusted, she knew that she was worth it—in his eyes, at least, if not anyone else's.

Chest heaving, Winnie leaned into the solid embrace of the only real friend she had at The Boston Children's Aid Society. An orphan like her, Beckett had taken a shine to Winnie at a BCAS function last year when some boys were making fun of her crossed eyes. He had defended her from their taunts, he said, because she reminded him of his little sister who had died—same petite size, same blond curls, and same blue eyes. That alone had sealed her trust because heaven knows she always wanted a big brother. The tight press of her lips silenced the rise of a grunt. Or any family at all …

She only saw Beckett during mass on Sundays and social events like this—meet-and-greets to showcase orphans that nobody really wanted, least not while a depression was going on. After all, who wanted another mouth to feed?

"Did Sister Margaret Ann see it?" Winnie asked guardedly, well aware that Mother Superior had issued her final warning: any more fights, and Winnie would lose the privilege of the Hershey kisses Mrs. D brought her every week. Winnie swallowed a thick gulp. And even worse, she thought with a shiver, possibly the affection of Mrs. D herself?

Mrs. D—Mrs. Charity Dennehy. A volunteer who, like Beckett, didn't seem to mind Winnie's crossed eyes nor troublesome ways, but somehow appeared to actually like her in spite of them.

"Not this time, Winnie," Beckett continued, expelling a quiet sigh. His lanky ten-year-old frame slowly sank against the cold wall as he pulled her along, the scent of mildew strong amid the musty cover of winter coats. "But next time, you might not be so lucky."

A grunt popped from Winnie's lips. Lucky. Yeah, right. Hell's bells, no one could ever call her that! Not after being abandoned on the stoop of The St. Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers at the age of two, and cock-eyed to boot!

Tears immediately burned at cruel words she would never forget, spoken by an older girl named Lucinda who not only worked in the office, but whose little sister, Mary Lou, Winnie had clocked in a scuffle.

"Hey, you cross-eyed creep," Lucinda had said with a sneer, "I saw your file, and you're not only mean and ugly, but your mama was a whore too."

Winnie's eyelids sagged closed as she clutched Beckett all the harder, her voice barely a whisper.

"Beck?"

"Yes, Winnie?"

"Will you …"—a knot jerked in her throat—"tell me again?"

A long, wavering sigh drifted from Beckett's lips that carried a trace of a smile as he gently brushed curls—or "ringlets of gold," as he called them—out of her eyes. "You're not ugly, Winnie—you're beautiful."

"Then why don't I feel that way?" She sniffled as she swiped at a single tear that slid down her cheek.

His ribcage slowly rose and fell with another heavy exhale while he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Because, Winifred Doe," he said softly, leaning to press the gentlest of kisses to her head, "you're listening to people instead of to God."

Julie Lessman Author Interview Highlights

Why Readers Love Reconnecting with the O'Connor Family

By Julie's count, this is roughly the sixteenth book featuring the O'Connors. Readers keep coming back for more. Her most frequent review comment? Fans simply adore spending time with this beloved clan again.

Julie always slips in a lively Thanksgiving dinner, complete with after-dinner games. Grandparents Marcy and Patrick make appearances too. Melissa shared how much the multiple points of view add to the story. Instead of focusing only on the main couple, readers get to reconnect with the whole family.

Interestingly, this book was a struggle for Julie to write. It was her first new release in three years, and her passion felt missing. She expected poor reviews. To her surprise, the response has been overwhelmingly five-star.

A Big Family Built on God's Design

Melissa grew up with five sisters, so the O'Connor family scenes feel nostalgic. Julie's story is different. She was number twelve of thirteen children in a deeply dysfunctional home.

Because of that, she created the family she longed for. The O'Connors reflect God's precepts. Throughout each book, Julie weaves in the lessons God taught her in both her single and married life.

Clean Christian Romance with Passion and Faith

Julie's books carry more romantic and spiritual passion than many titles in the Christian market. For Melissa, that balance is exactly the draw. Secular romance once held her attention, yet it always went further than she wanted. Worse, it left God out entirely.

Julie understood completely. She once read authors like Nora Roberts and skimmed straight to the romantic scenes. Eventually, God told her no. So she started writing her own stories: clean, romantic, and always pointing back to Him. In fact, she goes through boxes of Kleenex while editing, because the spiritual lessons move her deeply.

"You're Listening to People Instead of to God"

That single prologue line brought Melissa to tears only three pages in. Julie admits it gets her every time, too. Why? The truth applies to all of us. Unsurprisingly, the prologue ranks among her favorite scenes to write because it sets the tone for the entire novel.

Julie's Favorite Scenes: Marriage, Mothers, and Daughters

Mitch and Charity's marital scenes delight Julie. She uses them to share lessons from her own marriage. Even more meaningful is the relationship between Charity and her adopted daughter, Winnie.

The two butt heads constantly. Ironically, Winnie is exactly like Charity. Charity fears her daughter will repeat her own painful past. When mother and daughter finally connect, the moment is powerful.

During the interview, Julie grew emotional as she realized why that scene mattered so much. She lost her own mother at sixteen and never had a reconciliation like that. It's a tender, honest moment worth hearing.

Melissa also highlighted a follow-up scene. An exhausted Beck receives a phone call from Charity with life-changing news: their girl accepted Jesus. Anyone who has prayed for a loved one's salvation will feel that moment deeply.

A Surprise Twist and a Special Cameo

Don't worry, we won't spoil it. Still, there's a plot twist that had Melissa gasping out loud. Her husband had to remind her the characters aren't real! Julie loves hearing that, since she always assumes readers will see it coming.

As a bonus, Melissa discovered a delightful surprise while reading. Julie wrote her into the book as a character! Julie loves sneaking dear friends into her stories.

What's Next for the O'Connors

Good news: Julie isn't ready to let go. She's eager to write Julia's story. Julia is Winnie's twelve-year-old sister, so she'll need to grow up first. Luke and Katie's eight children also offer plenty of future possibilities.

Next year, Julie hopes to release a Christmas anthology. Five O'Connor Christmas novellas are already written. Additionally, she plans new novellas to complete the collection, including a final one for Marcy and Patrick.

Join the LiteraryScape Book Club: A Year with the O'Connors in 2027

Here's the exciting news! LiteraryScape is featuring the O'Connor family for the entire 2027 reading year. Even better, Julie plans to join as many discussions as she can and host a giveaway for each one.

December Kickoff (Free and Open to All): We'll begin with A Light in the Window. This Christmas story tells Marcy and Patrick's love story, where the whole O'Connor saga begins.

2027 Monthly Discussions: Next, we'll read through The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and The Cousins O'Connor, one book each month. These gatherings are for members. Membership is just $7 a month or $70 a year.

Best of all, 10% of every membership and store purchase supports Destiny Rescue. This ministry rescues children from human trafficking. Fittingly, Julie's A Dare and a Prayer tells Henry's story, which centers on child trafficking.

📚 Ready to read along? Sign up for the LiteraryScape Book Club here.

About the Author: Julie Lessman

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together. Award-winning 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 24 Romance Writers of America and other awards.

Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine's 2012 and 2011 Reader's Choice Awards, Julie also made Family Fiction magazine's Best of 2015, 2014, and "Essential Christian Romance Authors" 2017-2021, 2023, as well as Booklist's 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction.

In addition, Julie has written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets, and What's the Story, Morning Glory: A Memoir Devotional with a "Novel" Approach to Practical Christianity. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

Tour Giveaway: Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Looking for even more chances to win? Julie is hosting additional giveaways on her blog at julielessman.com.

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Listen to the Full Episode

🎧 Listen to our conversation with Julie Lessman

🎧 Catch our first episode on A Whim and a Prayer

Happy and blessed reading!