Star Dater: Julie Lessman!

I’m so happy to welcome my dear friend Julie Lessman! Julie is another of the “Fab Four” Inspirational finalists for the 2005 RWA Golden Heart, along with Janet Dean, Tina Russo Novinski Radcliffe, and yours truly. I’m blessed beyond measure to know each one of these ladies, and I am eternally grateful for their friendship.

Prepare to swoon as you read Julie’s inspiring thoughts on . . .

True Romance

I have a confession to make: I am addicted to romance. I suppose that’s not as bad as being addicted to Twinkies or Ho Hos because at least it won’t slap extra pounds on my hips. But it does compel me to hunt down romance in every conceivable form like a heat-seeking missile. Books, movies, date night with my husband or just getting a “fix” by writing my own romantic novel—to me, it’s all good. Which is why I LOVE reading Myra’s “Dating with the (Literary) Stars,” because I get such a kick out of all the true romance stories her guests write about.

So when Myra asked me to do a guest blog, I strained my brain trying to come up with some romantic event that was so sensational that sighs of envy would drift forth into cyberspace. But the honest-to-God truth is that my husband has never danced with me in the dining room (a la Janet Dean) or hidden a piece of jewelry in a fortune cookie like Gail Martin’s clever hubby. True, Keith brings me coffee almost every morning, holds my hand in the car, and sent me roses when I gave birth to his son and daughter. But as far as a heart-melting, knee-weakening moment that swept me off my feet, I was alarmed to realize that I—a card-carrying romantic—was drawing a blank.

So that got me thinking—hard! I mean, I’ve been married over 29 years to this wonderful man and consider our relationship to be one of the most romantic I have ever seen. But I can’t validate that with stories that would qualify for the Romance Hall of Fame. So what makes our relationship so special, I wondered?

And then I thought about what romance is really all about. Being cherished, loved, made to feel like you are the most precious thing to someone. It’s basically Ephesians 5:25 in a nutshell—Husbands, love your wives. It’s why romance sales account for 40% of the fiction market. Women want to be cherished. All of a sudden, I realized that my husband does that for me every day of my life. A tender look, a lingering kiss or just spooning at night. Telling me he never gets tired of being with me (yeah, I know, his boredom threshold must be pretty high), or dancing with me at weddings when I know he’d rather have a root canal. And then there were all those times he supported me and took my side in front of the kids, even when I was wrong. Followed by gentle conviction and prayer when we were alone. It’s a big, hulking guy reading my debut novel instead of Sports Illustrated and then tearing up when tragedy befalls a favorite character. It’s swooning at the sink when he kisses me from behind, purposely mimicking a scene in my book. It’s a man who makes me feel like I am the moon and the stars to him and tells me life with me is never dull.

Yes, my name is Julie Lessman, and I am a romance addict. And my husband is my biggest supplier.

AUTHOR BIO: Julie Lessman is a debut author who has already garnered writing acclaim, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She is a commercial writer for Maritz Travel, a published poet and a Golden Heart Finalist. Julie has a heart to write “Mainstream Inspirational,” reaching the 21st-century woman with compelling love stories laced with God’s precepts. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law. Her first book, A Passion Most Pure, will be in stores January 2008.

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Julie, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with my readers today. May we all become as addicted to romance as you are! All the best as you await the debut of your first novel. I can’t wait to read it!

Comments

[Carla]

Your post made me smile. My hubby's not a big gifts and flowers sort of guy either, but I do love those kisses in the kitchen:-)

[Julie Lessman]

Glad I could make you smile, Carla--presents are definitely overrated! :) Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Julie

[Janet Dean]

Julie, you're so right on! We ladies want to feel cherished every day. Men should read these blogs and discover gifts, memorable dates, and special moments are all wonderful, but what makes us truly happy is seeing love reflected in their eyes daily. Ephesians 5:33: wives respect your husbands. When our actions show we do, the flame burns brightest.

[Julie Lessman]

Gosh, Janet, you NAILED it on that one! When our actions to those guys show "respect," the flame DOES burn brightest!!! I had to learn that the hard way, but thank God I did because now there's a roaring fire in his baby-blue eyes!! Thanks for stopping by, my friend.

Hugs,
Julie

[Margie Lawson]

Julie --

I'm in love with your STAR DATE story. You captured so many loving elements as you described your amazingly loving husband. And you captured me too.

I'm so touched by your Star Date story, that I read it out loud to my husband. AND - I'm going to print it and make copies to give to couples I'm seeing in marital counseling. I bet they'll be touched too.

I hope your story helps others reconnect with their partners and nurture their romance. :-)))

JULIE -- I hope to meet you at ACFW in September!

MYRA -- Thank you for all these wonderful STAR DATE stories! You're the best!

Hugs...........Margie

[Missy Tippens]

What a sweet, sweet story, Julie! And Myra, I love the focus of your blog. Great stuff here!

Missy

[Mary Connealy]

Julie, what a great post. You are so right, romance is all those sweet wonderful moments, but it's more, it's the relationship that lasts for really deep reasons that sometimes show up in a hundred little ways, like..........wart removal for example.
Okay, maybe not.

[Julie Lessman]

Gosh, Margie, thank you SO much -- you made my day, especially given the long line of credits I saw in the bio on your Web site! Holy cow -- I feel like I should call you "Dr. Lawson"! And I would LOVE to meet you at ACFW next year. I have thoroughly enjoyed your articles on Myra's blog and others, and have been hearing your name for a very long time. It will be good to finally meet in Minneapolis in '08!

Hugs,
Julie

[Julie Lessman]

Hey Missy and Mary, thanks so much for your comments! And, Mary, I'm not sure that most people would equate "wart removal" with true romance, but I happen to know that you and Ivan express your love in very unique ways. :) I believe I would like to read a Star Dater column on "True Romance" in the Connealy household! Book her, Myra!

[Mary Connealy]

I've alrady done one, Julie. Go check out the archives. And it was very sweet.
Not like Janet's DANCING post, but better than home doctoring

[Julie Lessman]

Gosh, Mary, I thought you had, but I DID check out the archives first and couldn't find it!!! Chalk it up to my Internet illiteracy, I suppose. I just thought I had read it on another blog, since you pop up everywhere it seems!! :)