Wednesday, May 19, 2010

LORD, I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY - Leslie Vernick - Free Book

Welcome to my blog, Leslie. You are writing nonfiction. Do you also write fiction?

No I’ve never written fiction but I’d like to try sometime.

What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?

I am a licensed Christian counselor who has a private practice. I see adults and couples mostly. My parents were divorced when I was 8 years old. My mother lost custody of all her children when I was 14 due to alcoholism and abusive behavior. I think my childhood experiences have made me more sensitive as a counselor. I am passionate about repairing and rebuilding relationships when possible. My tagline is “Enriching the relationships that matter most!”

Tell us about your family.

I am a new grandmother to Amaya Love. It is wonderful. I have been married to Howard for 34 years and have two adult children, one we adopted from Korea.

Have you written other nonfiction books?

Yes, I have written six nonfiction books, mostly out of the angst of my counseling practice when I’ve pondered which book to recommend to people in distress. When I couldn’t think of one that I thought fit their particular need, I wrote my own.

My best-selling book is The Emotionally Destructive Relationship: Seeing It! Stopping It! Surviving It! The theme for this book grew out of my distress over the church’s lack of response to those suffering in abusive and destructive relationships. It has a clearly biblical response on how to recognize destructive relationships and what to do to stop them and how to heal from them.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?

After writing 6 books in 10 years I felt it was time to take a sabbatical. So I’m waiting on the Lord to see if He has anything else He wants me to say. I find writing a book an extremely taxing endeavor in every way. I don’t want to do it if He isn’t in it.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy traveling, reading, sitting by the fire, gardening, walking, and talking with my girlfriends. I love to cook for special occasions, not every day. I used to paint with watercolors and have recently thought about starting again.

Why did you write the featured book?

Lord, I Just Want to be Happy is a phrase I often hear in the counseling room, not only from those who are desperate or depressed, but from all of us who wonder how to experience this abundant life that Jesus promises. I used to think that it was God’s will for us to be holy, not necessarily happy but I don’t believe that anymore. Holy people are happy people. They have found their source of joy, peace, love, and hope to be God and are living in sync with their created purpose.

Authentic happiness is not about feeling fabulous and never feeling pain. It’s about feeling pain and finding purpose. It’s about being able to transform the mundane into the miraculous and finding the diamonds embedded in the mud cakes of life. This does not come easily for most of us and we need to learn how.

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

As a Christian counselor, I am well aware that many things are not as they should be. Sometimes living in this world is excruciatingly painful. It might be unrealistic to think we can be happy all of the time. But there are definitely some things we can learn so we can be happier people more of the time but I don’t think people know how.

Over the years I’ve been frustrated reading Christian-Living books because they often do a great job at describing the problem, or even where we should be, but don’t always help the reader get from A to B. In other words, I’m always left wondering exactly how do we become more holy? How do we trust God more? How do we experience the fruit of the spirit?

In Lord, I Just Want to be Happy, each chapter gives the reader something to think about as well as new skills to practice so that they can gain greater emotional and spiritual health.

Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

http://www.leslievernick.com/
http://www.leslievernick.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/leslievernickfanpage
www.twitter/leslievernick.

Thank you, Leslie, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using this link when you order you help support this blog.














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

33 comments:

collettakay said...

This looks like a book I could definitely use.

pepsi324[at]yahoo[dot]com

Coolestmommy said...

Sounds like a book with principals that every person should apply to their own life.

coolestmommy2000 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I am in the middle of reading Leslie's book, "How to Act Right When your Spouse Acts Wrong" which I was given for a Biblical Counseling class I was taking. It is a good book, challenging, encouraging, and practical both for the counselee and the counselor. I would like to read Leslie's other books.

jenny white
whitejennifer7[at]gmail[dot]com

Gayle said...

I would love to have this book. My husband just moved out a few weeks ago because I couldn't take anymore of his criticism and verbal abuse. Not only is he destroying me, but also my two children. His anger is so deep and he just won't see it. I just want to be happily married!!! But it's not going to happen until he sees who he really is and does something about it. Thanks to Leslie for her resources. They are the best I have read so far, speaking the truth and not just glossing over the issues.

Wendy said...

Sounds like a good book to learn things from.
wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

Claire Koenig said...

Would love to check it out!

fredamans said...

I would love a chance at this book, thank you.

Unknown said...

It would make me very happy to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the chance.
Dawn

Cindy W. said...

This sounds like a book that I could really use. Thank you for the opportunity to win it.

Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.

countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com

Anonymous said...

please enter me in this fabulous book giveaway....thanks

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Linda Kish said...

This sounds like something I could learn from.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Sounds like a book that could be worth learning from. Thanks for the chance into this giveaway.

unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

The Herd said...

I loved reading the interview!
Thanks!

apple blossom said...

Please please include me. Thanks
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Jaedyn said...

This sounds really good, something I should read. :) Thanks for giving a copy away!

Lindsey
ladyufshalott at yahoo dot com

Carla said...

I would love to win this book to give to my daughter.

Anita Yancey said...

Sounds like a nice book. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

pupita said...

i love how you defined happiness. And would love to win this book.
milengirma@gmail.com

MaureenT said...

Please include me...this book looks great! Thank you!

alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

Roanna said...

Sounds like a good book... Please enter me. ohiobuckeye91(@)gmail(dot)com

dancealertreads.blogspot.com said...

This looks like a fabulous book!

dancealert at aol dot com

Nancye said...

Sounds like a great book! Please count me in.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Unknown said...

Looks Like a Great Book! I Love Leslie's books and look forward to equiping myself to continue to lead a better life and to witness to others. God Bless!

Amanda said...

This would be a great book to win - thanks!!
winnieayala at yahoo dot com

collettakay said...

Recommenting.

pepsi324[at]yahoo[dot]com

Jo said...

I have so much going on in my life right now that this sounds like a book that I really need to read.

Blessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

Edna said...

this is a new author to me but I am sure I would enjoy the book


mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Cindy W. said...

I would really love this book. I commented earlier in the week and it appears here but I know you said all the comments disappeared and to re-enter.

Smiles,
Cindy W.

countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com

rbooth43 said...

Everyone wants to be happy, including me. Even though I lost all my special family except my son and grandson, I have become closer to God, and that makes me happy.
Thanks!
God Bless Everyone!

rbooth43(at)yahoo(dot)com

misskallie2000 said...

I think everyone can benefit from reading "Lord, I Just Want To Be Happy". I know I will be.

Pls count me in. Thanks


misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

Leslie Vernick said...

Thanks for all your wonderful comments. I invite you to join my facebook fan page at facebook.com/leslievernickfanpage as well as my discussion on the book, Lord I Just Want to be Happy.

Warmly,
Leslie

Carol said...

This sounds like a book I would enjoy reading. Thanks for the opportunity to win it!

choco1950(at)netins(dot)net

Lou Ann said...

I am definitely going to get your book. I just made the comment the other day that it's not asking too much to be happy again. I so want to have just a small amount of joy back in my life. My father passed away a year ago in April and I am trying to help keep my mama and brother together as well as myself. I am a "daddy's girl" and am having an extremely hard time. I am so concerned for my mama. I don't know what to do to help her except pray. I feel like I'm starting to loose her too. She is missing daddy so much. They were married for 50 years. They were each others lives. Needless to say, I really need your book.