Happy Monday friends! I’m back again to introduce you to another author friend of mine who is giving away a copy of her latest book right here to one of YOU! Details of how you can enter will follow at the end of the post.

I’m tickled pink to welcome Leslie Nease to the blog this week. You may recognize Leslie from various outlets, but I’ll not giveaway one of those places until you read a little further into her interview below (I think you’ll figure it out then…wink! wink!).

Leslie is married with four children. She’s a speaker and writer with a passion for Jesus Christ. Additionally, she’s a co-host of a popular Christian radio morning show. Leslie also taught fitness for over eighteen years and has even written a book on physical, emotional, spiritual and mental fitness called Body Builders (available on Amazon). As Mrs. North Carolina 2001, she traveled the state to encourage youth to get fit in order to prevent childhood obesity. She is passionate about fitness in body, mind and spirit. Leslie’s latest book, Wholehearted, was published earlier this year, and now…here’s Leslie to share more with you…

ME: What inspired you to write Wholehearted?

LESLIE: A couple years ago, the Wesleyan Women of Washington State called me and asked me to prepare a four-session retreat based on Ezekiel 36:26-27. The scripture reads:  And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. At first, I was scared – I could not imagine being able to come up with four sessions from two verses! However, the verses were rich in truth and what started as four sessions emerged into a 15-chapter book!

ME: How would you summarize your book in two to three sentences?

LESLIE: God, through the prophet Ezekiel, promised us that one day He would not only replace our heart of stone with a tender and responsive heart, but He also promised to put His Spirit within us (a full-out spiritual heart transplant!). In Wholehearted, I walk you through not only my spiritual heart transplant story, but also a friend named Jeannie’s story, who had a physical heart transplant. I compare the two “procedures” and give honest, scriptural guidance on how to live “post transplant” with our new heart.

ME: Who would you say is the “target reader audience” for your book?

LESLIE: Anyone, male or female, who is confused about what true salvation really means and looks like.  Wholehearted can also be (and has been used effectively as) an outreach tool to help those who may have been in church as a young person but then left and went their own way. I’ve had a lot of people use this book to reach out to family members or friends who are running from God.

ME: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

LESLIE: Focus. I’ve always struggled with “ADD” tendencies and keeping focused was one of my biggest struggles. I was amazed how God’s faithfulness got me through it, and I’ve actually had some awesome comments from those who suffer from ADD/ADHD who have said they found it very easy to read and follow. God is good!

ME: What was your favorite part of writing this book or share something you learned in the process?

LESLIE: Oh, gracious! I’m not sure where to start! I loved digging deep into the Scriptures and spending such intimate time with the Lord as I researched the book. It strengthened my faith tremendously and brought me into a deeper understanding of how much God loves me.

ME: What one thing, above all else, do you hope your readers take away from reading Wholehearted?

LESLIE: I want my precious readers to know that wholehearted living is truly available to them and it’s not a “work” we do – but Christ working in and through us as we submit to His plan for our lives. I want freedom for the captives! I want God to use this book to help people see what it truly means to be a born again believer in Christ, and I would love to see them grasp the deeper truths of how we become a new creation when we are believers in Christ with a “new heart”. If we could all grasp our new identity, we could light this world on fire for Him!

ME: A little unrelated, tell us something fun or surprising about yourself that this blog community might not already know.

LESLIE: Well, I was a contestant on a little reality show called Survivor: China back in 2007. I’m sure most people who meet me for the first time would be shocked to know that since I don’t necessarily fit the mold as someone who would go on Survivor, but it was truly an amazing experience, and God used it to grow my faith tremendously. I actually have some stories of what went on while on the show in my book! You’ll have to read it and check it out.

Leslie – Thank you so much for your obedience in writing this God-glorifying book! To learn more about Leslie, feel free to check her out at www.leslienease.com. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Wholehearted, you can do so HERE!

As promised, Leslie has offered to giveaway a copy of her book to ONE of you this week. You can have up to two entries:

1. Comment on this post by answering the question…do you have a close friend or family member in need of Jesus taking over control of their heart? If YES – simply type their first name so that we can be praying for them by name. If you prefer to leave even their first name anonymous – simply type “Yes – God knows the name”.

2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter by linking to this post, and be sure to “tag” me in it. Then, come back here and leave a second comment saying you’ve shared about it.

The giveaway runs through 9:00 pm ET Tuesday night (7/23). So, today and tomorrow only! I’ll announce the winner here on Wednesday! Be blessed friends!

It’s week 3 of our author interview series, and like the first two weeks, the featured author will be giving away a signed copy of her book to one of you! Stay tuned for instructions later in the post about how to enter to win this week’s book.

I am so excited to introduce you to a fairly new friend…Julie Gillies! I met Julie at She Speaks (a Proverbs 31 Ministries Conference held each summer for ladies feeling called to speak, write, serve in women’s ministry, or a combination of those areas) the summer after my husband passed away. We kept up with each other via social media ever since. I had the privilege of celebrating Julie’s book release earlier this year. Now…for a little more on Julie…

Julie Gillies is the author of Prayers for a Woman’s Soul (Harvest House Publishers). Healed from a traumatic childhood and awed that God saved her seriously troubled marriage, her message helps women pray with boldness, confidence, and the certainty that God hears. Julie is the Critique Groups Director for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and serves on the editorial team of P31 Woman magazine. She’s the joyful wife of Keith, mom of two soldiers and one civilian, and Grammy of four. She loves hanging out with the entire gang at home, especially on days when her house is clean. Find FREE resources and connect with Julie at: www.JulieGillies.com.

I recently asked Julie some questions about her experience with writing Prayers for a Woman’s Soul, and here is what she had to say:

ME: What inspired you to write Prayers for a Woman’s Soul?

JULIE: Several years ago I wrote a blog post about praying for myself, and several commenters told me they’d never prayed for themselves before. That surprised me, and I felt there could be a niche for a book, so I conducted an informal poll of church-going women, and more than half of the women I spoke with confessed they did not regularly pray for themselves. I decided then to write a book that not only gave women permission to pray for themselves, but a practical book that would walk along side women as they began the holy habit of praying for themselves.

ME: How would you summarize your book in two to three sentences?

JULIE: Prayers for a Woman’s Soul is a 52-week devotional that includes authentic stories you can relate to, along with personalized Scriptures and specific prayers. It’s a holy invitation to pray for and about yourself and the topics that matter most to you.

ME: Who would you say is the “target reader audience” for your book?

JULIE: Stressed, multitasking, overwhelmed women with long to-do lists—who pray for everyone and everything except themselves.

ME: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

JULIE: Living out the chapters was rough (because I tell on myself) and opening my heart to the level of transparency God required felt very risky. What I discovered is that women really respond to the authenticity and can relate to my issues. Lol We all have issues—now let’s pray about them!

ME: What was your favorite part of writing this book or share something you learned in the process?

JULIE: I learned that even when we feel incapable, God uses our obedience. He is faithful and equips us even when the task before us is daunting. All He really needs is our willingness. And that amazes me.

ME: What one thing, above all else, do you hope your readers take away from reading Prayers for a Woman’s Soul?

JULIE: My fervent hope is that women realize that praying for ourselves is not selfish—it’s absolutely vital, and that they will run with that revelation, and begin praying—for themselves—every day. Praying for ourselves bring authentic transformation and equips us to soar through our days!

ME: A little unrelated, tell us something fun or surprising about yourself that this blog community might not already know.

JULIE: I love to dance! Recently I was in Nashville and had a free evening while my teen daughter attended a One Direction (boy band) concert. My brother and niece joined me for dinner and we wandered into the WildHorse Saloon, where an instructor taught a basic line dance.  I worked up quite a sweat. It was an absolute blast!

I personally love Prayers for a Woman’s Soul and would love for EACH of you to have a copy. But…while we can only give away a single copy here this week, feel free to order a copy directly for yourselves or a sister, mother, friend, aunt, etc. You can do that HERE! This will supercharge your prayer life ladies! Don’t miss out!

Now…for the giveaway! Julie’s graciously offered to give one of you a signed copy of her book! You can have up to TWO entries:

1. Comment on this post answering this question…have you developed a regular habit of praying for yourself, or is this an area that you really need to work on?

2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter by linking to this post and be sure to “tag” me in it! Then, come back here and leave a second comment saying you’ve done so. 

The giveaway runs through 9:00 pm Tuesday (7/16) night. So, today and tomorrow ONLY! I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday morning!