Letters of Love
Today I am pleased to welcome Joi Copeland. She will be sharing with us about her book Letters of Love.
Before we begin the answer to last weeks question was Bison. The winner of the drawing is Marianne.
Joi please tell us about Letters of Love.
Two men fighting for their country.
Two women dealing with tragedy alone.
Two different stories, two different eras, one common thread.
Sophia Philips, a wife and mom, finds herself missing the two most important people in her life. One ripped from her because of war, the other by death.
Sophia’s grandmother, Lucia Snell, gives her an early inheritance; letters written to her by her husband while stationed in China during World War II. Lucia believes these letters will help her granddaughter heal from the heart-wrenching tragedy she faces.
Will Sophia carry the anger, bitterness, and guilt within her or go to the only One who can heal her from the pain? Will she find the strength to carry on and the will to survive through her grandparents’ Letters of Love?
Did anything in particular inspire this book?
My inspiration for this book was my grandparents. My grandfather wrote the actual letters in this book to my grandma when he was stationed in Ceylon and China during WWII.
Do you have plans for a sequel or is this a stand alone book?
This is a stand alone novel.
What is next for you? Do you have any other releases scheduled, are you working on something new?
This is a stand alone novel. I do have another book, Hope from the Past, coming out. It’s the third in my Hope Trilogy. I’m currently working on Sunshine in Spring which is about Camden from Christmas Rayne.
That’s exciting! It sounds like you are keeping busy.:)
I always like to include one fun question to help the readers get to know you a bit. If you could visit any place in the entire world where would you go?
Right now, I’d go to England. I have a novel that is going to be England and the U.S.
Is this the novel you mentioned or a different one and what is it called?
No. It isn’t the novel I mentioned. This is a different one. I don’t have a title for it yet. I haven’t started writing it. That’s down the road a bit.:)
How fun! Hopefully you will get to visit. Thanks for joining us today, Joi.
Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure!
Joi has offered to give away one copy to a lucky commenter. You must answer the following question to be entered.
Have you ever had a letter that changed your life? Or have you ever written a letter that possibly changed the life of someone else? If you feel comfortable, please share.
Rules for drawing: You must answer the question for your comment to be entered into the drawing. There must be at least ten qualifying comments for the drawing to take place. Void where prohibited by law. Drawing only open to USA addresses.
Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She is living the dream in beautiful Denver, Colorado. Joi loves being a wife and mom! She enjoys spending time with her sister Steffanne, and loves to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea with friends! She’s been a Christian for over twenty years. Following Jesus has been the best decision she has ever made. Joi’s other books are Hope for Tomorrow, Hope for the Journey, Christmas Rayne, and Sheriff Bride Rob’s Story.
30 Comments
JaniceG
The letters that Paul wrote in the Bible are certainly to be included in life-changing letters. The Romans and Ephesians letters have been especially helpful to me in my life.
Blessings, Janice jsmithg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Kimberly Rose Johnson
Hi Janice, it’s great to see you here again.:) Great thoughts on Paul’s letters. I never would have thought of those, but you are absolutely right. Thanks for commenting!
Joi
I do agree with you, Janice! Those are life changing letters that will never lose their meaning!
Maxie Lloyd-Hamilton Anderson
I sure would love to win this book. I have always been a letter writer and treasured my letters received. It’s about to become a lost art and that makes me sad. Thanks.
Maxie mac262@me(dot)com
Kimberly Rose Johnson
Hi Maxie, you are right. Letter writing is a lost art. I remember penning letters as a child, but aside from Christmas I never send letters anymore.
Have you ever written one or received one that stands out in your mind as life changing?
Joi
It’s so true, Maxie! I think letters are precious!
ELIZA E
No, i haven’t written a letter that was life changing.. I do think it is a lost art in letter writing…emails are okay but you loose that personal touch.
Joi
I agree, Eliza! My three boys are trying to find pen pals in my family, but so far, no one has really stepped up to that. It’s sad, really.
JoAnn Durgin
Just wanted to say hello to two of my favorite writers, Joi and Kimberly! Wonderful post, ladies. I have the book already and am looking forward to reading it, so I don’t need to be entered in the drawing. I joke about the “letters” my husband squeezed onto postcards from Europe. He’d gone off on a singing tour with some guys from Dallas Seminary and we were at a crossroads in our relationship. I hate to tell you what I did with those postcards, but oh, how I wish I’d kept them. They’d be fun to read again. Basically, he was pleading his “case” and telling me how much he loved me. Now, tell me, WHY did I get rid of those in a fit of anger? You live and learn. But we’ve been married 25 years now, so all turned out well. And he can’t write an e-mail or anything else to save his life! Blessings.
Kimberly Rose Johnson
Hey, JoAnn! Great to see you here.
Joi
Wow, JoAnn! That’s amazing! I honestly wish my grandfather had the letters my grandma wrote him. But he said he had no place to store them. Sigh….
So glad you listened to your hubby “plead his case” and married him! 🙂
Maxie Lloyd-Hamilton Anderson
Kimberly, I’m sorry that I didn’t answer your question. I have received some letters that really hurt my feelings, but didn’t really change my life, but to make me sad. I just had to forgive those sending the letters, but hard to still not remember them now and again. I never let it ruin my relationships when we were together. I thought family were more important than holding grudges, so never let it show how much I’d been hurt in family times. Maxie
Kimberly Rose Johnson
I’m sorry you received those kind of letters, Maxie. Words are very powerful for good and bad and many people either don’t care or are clueless to the impact their words have.
Ephesians 3:17-19 is a snippet of a letter written to the Ephesians by Paul but applicable to us today. This is from the NIV.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (for you) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
This is my letter to you today Maxine. God bless.
Joi
Oh, Maxie, that is so sad. I, too, have received hurtful letters. That friendship is no longer due to hurt on both side. I had to get rid of them so I wouldn’t keep looking back. When I do look back, it’s only at the good times. 🙂
Beth C
I have a letter from my grandmother written to me when I was a young girl! Grandma has been gone a long time but I treasure that letter. Even though she lived close to us she took the time to write to me and tell me how special I was. It is amazing how good letters can make you feel. Too bad the art of letter writing is going by the wayside.
Kimberly Rose Johnson
Beth, that is so great that you still have the letter. I wish I still had letters my grandma had written to me, but I never thought to save them.
Joi
That’s really special, Beth! I try to keep cards or letters from people, too!
Marianne
i have a letter written to me from my Aunt for one of my first birthdays, She gave me a bear that sings and the letter was written as if the bear wrote that. My mom has letters that her mother and uncles wrote, and she has grandmother’s diary which is very precious.
Joi
That’s so neat, Marianne! I have a letter from the “easter bunny” that I’ve saved. I think it’s incredible that your mom has those things! How special!
KayM
Your question comes at a time, when I’m going through my mother’s papers–everything from children’s report cards to recipes. I’ve so enjoyed reading letters that she saved from my children and me. Our future generations will lose this written history.
I can’t say that I remember a letter that either I wrote or received that was life-changing, but I do remember some pretty wonderful ones from my future husband, when I was in college.
Joi
That’s really special, Kay! And I agree, our future generations will lose them!
Janet Estridge
I would love to win a copy of this book to give to my church library.
Thanks for the opportunity to do so.
Joi
Thanks for stopping by, Janet!
JOYE
I don’t recall having written any letter or receiving any letter that changed me or anyone I know.
JackieW
NO, I’ve not received any letter that changed my life. Enjoyed your blog today.
Joi Copeland
Thanks, Jackie!
Wendy Marple
I have not received a letter that changed my life. I have received letters from my mom with scripture that I cherish. I love to send letters to people. I do not know if any of them changed their lives.
Joi Copeland
That’s a treasure, all right, Wendy!
Holly Magnuson
I had a friend that I met late in high school and he was in college who would write me the most encouraging letters. Often he would start them with passages from Paul’s writing, but would personalize it in such a way that would make it very personal and meaningful.
Joi Copeland
That is so neat, Holly!