Charity Andrews

Oh. My. Gosh. I know you are all saying the same thing. JULIE KLASSEN!!! SQUEEEEE!!! If you haven’t heard of this talented lady, I am so sorry! She is the author of many bestselling books and has a huge fan base! I have had readers begging me to face-off with Julie for a while.

I do what I can for those readers. It has nothing to do with my love for her too! 😉

Among her many awards, Julie has won a whopping three Christy Awards. Now that is impressive! Not only that, but her books frequently sit in the “Amazon Best Of” series. Take a look at some of these awesome Regency titles. Pick one (or more) up. You definitely won’t regret it!! Links are in the pics:

Let’s do this!!

Before we start, I want to introduce Trixi Oberembt! She is the winner of my Big Summer Giveaway and has won the opportunity to face off with Julie Klassen today!!

Trixi is a stay-at-home mom married to the love of her life, Andrew. They have 2 grown kids and a granddaughter!! She loves traveling, reading, and spending time with family on the beautiful Oregon coast. She says, “I love to take pictures, especially of family members and scenery. I also have started to review books for authors on various online places, and have found it very enjoyable! I love giving back in some small portion to all their hard work and dedication. I also am on several author street teams. What a fun way to get to know some of my favorite writers & see what books they have in the works! ”

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The rules are simple. I ask Julie and Trixi some random questions. They reply and then I give my answers. Each winning answer is worth one point and I get to decide whose answer is better.

It’s my blog.

Here we go!

1. Is there one “at home sales company” that you are addicted to? Arbonne, Jamberry, 31, etc…

Julie – Does the Schwan’s man count? Anyone who brings easy suppers and ice-cream to my door is tops in my book. I also enjoy Mary Kay, Premier jewelry, 31 bags, Pampered Chef, Norwex, and Tupperware. I go to home parties but rarely host them because that would require me to clean my house. How about you?

Trixi – None! Will you hate me if I say, I detest shopping, (’cause I do)?? But I have known several people who have sold Avon products & my best friend used to sell Mary Kay.

Charity – Oh, YES! Schwan man definitely counts. Yum-o. I grew up on the Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream.

I’m a huge fan of Arbonne and Jamberry. I don’t usually host because it’s too stressful! haha. But, I did recently host a Jamberry party ONLINE. I was surprised how much fun it was. I used to be an area manager for Arbonne, but God led me in a different direction with my life. Still love their products though!

Truthfully? I am scared when people sell stuff. haha. The products are so nice, but they are always pricey.

— Julie has the most passion for it! Plus…she brought up the Schwan man!!

Charity 0 / Julie 1 / Trixi 0

2. Do you have anyone in your family like that did something cool? Like, a martyr, general in the Revolutionary War, etc…

Julie – Not that I know of. According to my Mom, I come from a long line of Lithuanian peasants on her side. Although my Dad’s dad invented some element of the backup sump pump or something “cool” like that.

Trixi – My grandfather was in the Army during WW2; over in Germany fighting. I remember my grandma having a picture of what they believe were the bombed out barracks of Hitler’s army. He came home with several medals including the purple heart. Although, I don’t know how he was injured.

One interesting rumor however, is that we are somehow related to John Wilkes Booth. You know, the guy who assassinated Abe Lincoln?

Charity – haha! That’s amazing. You should tell everyone that he invented that, Julie!

Oh man! What an awesome heritage, Trixi! I am sure it was really awesome to sit at his feet and listen to his stories. wow!! Of course, I don’t mean the John Wilkes Booth guy 😉

I get to brag a bit here. First of all, I have a Great (a few times over) Grandpa that was a martyr for his country. His name is Illium Dhone, or in English, William Christian. He died in 1663 and gave an incredible speech where it was obvious that his faith was the real deal.

Not only that, but officers in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

— Totally taking that one!!

Charity 1 / Julie 1 / Trixi 0

3. What’s your favorite snack?

Julie – If calories were not an issue: Cookies. Candy. Icecream. Ideally all blended together. What I usually snack on instead: nuts, cheese, dark chocolate.

Trixi – I don’t snack often (I eat like a bird sometimes!), but when I do, I like something healthy. My mom got me hooked on hummus, so I love that with sea salted pita chips. Or I’ll buy myself a bag of organic tortilla chips and Pace Picante. I also love trail mix with raw unsalted nuts, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a sprinkling of yogurt covered raisins. Did someone mention food, now I’m hungry!!

Charity – Ugh. Stupid calories!!!! Candy is my weakness. Candy and Slurpees. I am like a 12 year old!!!!

— Trixi DEFINITELY wins that for some fabulous snack ideas!!!! And, for the record, not cool, Trixi. Not cool. Some people LIKE TO EAT!

Charity 1 / Julie 1 / Trixi 1

4. Have you ever seen a crime committed?

Julie – I plead the 5th! 😉 Though it sounds like you might have an interesting story to tell on this one???

Trixi – I’ve never actually witnessed a crime being committed. Although, there was a time when we had someone kick out our back car window! This was a long time ago. I was pregnant with my son (he’s 18 now) and my daughter was 4 or 5 she was sitting in the back seat. We were stopped in the left-hand turn lane, and some guy (drunk maybe?) started walking towards us cussing. He just kicked at the car, broke the window shattering it all over our daughter! She didn’t get cut (thank the good Lord) but my husband was livid!! We went to the police station and guess who was there??? The guy who did it… and when he saw us, he was apologizing profusely. We still pressed charges and he ended up in jail. Never knew what happened to him after that, but boy was that scary!! God definitely had His hand on us all that day!

Charity – Oh no! ha. I am glad that I don’t have a story to tell!!!! That would be really scary, Trixi. My goodness!

— You definitely witnessed a crime then!! Oh my word, Trixi!! You get that one!

Charity 1 / Julie 1 / Trixi 2

5. Would you ever consider owning a vietnamese (pot-bellied) pig?

Julie – No. But growing up my family owned rabbits, chickens, goats, cows, and horses if that counts for anything. Do you have one?

Trixi – Pot-belly pigs are rumored to be the cleanest, smartest animals around. And they are just the cutest things 🙂 As for owning one, I’m not sure that would be my first pick, but it might be quite the conversation starter 🙂

Charity – Oh, goodness, no!! I don’t have any pets. We had  a zoo in our house growing up too. They are super cute though. We had a pug for a while. Does that count?

— Tie

Charity 2 / Julie 2 / Trixi 3

6. What’s your favorite movie?

Julie – That’s a toughie! Favorites include: Tootsie. When Harry Met Sally. The Secret Garden. Jane Eyre. The Princess Bride. Emma. Sense & Sensibility. And, if we’re including mini-series, Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South and Pride and Prejudice.

Trixi – I don’t watch movies much anymore, but I can name at least two of my favorite classic ones. As I kid, I loved “Mary Poppins” and as an adult “The Sound of Music”. The latest movie I watched in a theater and actually enjoyed was “Cinderella” (the new one).

Charity – Oh boy. I am a movie junkie!! No joke. My favorites are Warrior, All Jane Austen Adaptations, the new Jane Eyre, and Divergent.

— Tie

Charity 3 / Julie 3 / Trixi 4

7. Who is your favorite king/queen of England? Why?

Julie – I admire England’s current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, because she is a servant at heart, and has lived a long, active, productive life. She’s 89 and has reigned for over 60 years! She is also outspoken about her faith. Her annual Royal Christmas Message broadcast often includes a personal note, like this one in 2000: “To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

Trixi – Oh dear, I don’t know my answer on this one other than the present Queen Elizabeth. Now if you refer to a Prince & Princess, I would have to say Princess Diane & Prince Charles (when they were a happy couple). I can’t really tell you why, I just know she seemed to be real down to earth even though she was royalty. And she was well loved (and missed) by everyone!

Charity – I had never heard that about the current Queen. I have only heard negative things. That’s really encouraging to know! Queen Victoria was my favorite, FOR SURE. She was amazing. Her story is so inspiring and beautiful. Wait, did I forget to put The Young Victoria in my favorite movie list? It’s fabulous!!

— Ok, Julie taught me something new! I love learning about the Royals.

Charity 3/ Julie 4 / Trixi 4

8. How do you strive to bring God the most glory in your life?

Julie – I hope that my books point toward and exalt his merciful forgiveness and grace, which have meant a great deal to me in my life.

Trixi – I love starting my day with a cup of coffee and my daily devotions and Bible reading. Our church has a reading through the Bible in a year guideline that our Pastor has put out for us,and this is the 4th year I’ve done it. I really feel like God has taught me so much more and I’ve gone deeper in His word than ever!. And I think because of this, I am living my life more fully for Him. I’m learning to practice the Fruit of the Spirit more (love,joy,peace,kindness,long-suffering,gentleness, goodness, faithfulness & self-control) and I pray that it reflects on my actions, words & heart attitude. I’ve learned to pray more for those who aren’t of the body of Christ, who say hurtful things or come against me in some way. Just as scripture teaches us to do. I have seen first hand how God can turn that situation around! So even though I’m not really vocal about my faith, I want my life to reflect Christ in me. For others to see a difference in me and want that for themselves!

Charity – Beautiful! Both of you!!

— God wins!

Charity 3/ Julie 4 / Trixi 4

9. Have you ever been swimming and saw a snake in the water with you?

Julie – Yes. I grew up in Illinois and often saw them in lakes and rivers I swam in. Still get the shivers just thinking about it!

Trixi – I’ve never seen a snake in the water. But we did often go visit my dad’s sister in Michigan during the summer. She had a cabin along Lake Erie which had a pier you could fish off of or jump in the water to swim. Well, unbeknownst to me, after a day of swimming in that lake, we went back up to the cabin to dry off and I found leeches on my ankles…..*shudders* That pretty much sealed it for me….no more swimming in any lake, pond, creek, etc!!

Charity – Oh My Word, both of you!!! *shudder* is RIGHT! Gross. I have not because I am too scared of them. I was in a paddle boat once and they were all over the lake sunbathing and I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t get to the shore fast enough!!

— As frightening as your “leech” fiasco was, the question was for snakes. Julie gets it!

Charity 3 / Julie 5 / Trixi 4

10. Best “Oh my gosh, I met a celebrity!!” moment?

Julie – Being a book lover, my favorite celebrity moments have been meeting authors like Janette Oke, Beverly Lewis, and Lorna Landvik. I haven’t met any famous actors. I am still waiting and hoping to meet Colin Firth one day. 🙂

Trixi – The best example I can come up with is this: the day our daughter announced that we would become grandparents! Hubby was ecstatic, me not so much! I was shocked, dazed and confused!! Her and the boyfriend aren’t married and I am simply too young to be a grandma (aren’t I?). The idea had to sit and stew for a really long, long time. But by the time our little one was born, it was “Oh my gosh, I met a celebrity!” at the first glimpse of her!! We were blessed enough to be in the labor & delivery room where not a dry eye was to be found!! There’s no moment like that what can compare 🙂

Charity – haha. I hear ya, Julie! Darcy always wins! And, that’s so sweet, Trixi!

Ok, I’ve got a good one!!!  So, I got to meet this guy!!! When I was a teenager, I was in a movie called Andersonville. His name is Thomas Wilson and it’s BIFF!! From Back to the Future!! He actually knocked on my head and did the entire “McFly” routine. 😮 It hurt. He is strong. But, it was a lot of fun and super cool for a 15 year old. Especially since it was right around the time the movies came out.

— I am SO taking that one!!

Final:

Charity 4 / Julie 5 / Trixi 4

again!

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Thank you, Julie, for participating with us! It was so much fun to get to know you better 🙂 I am so excited that you have multiple books coming out this year! Woot Woot!

Make sure you grab Julie’s new release books: