Go Go Boots, Nancy Drew and Lesley Ann Warren

I’ve had a few passions in my life. Mind you, I’m talking about passions other than my husband and children. Those are a given. Surely, you know what I’m referring to here—that all-encompassing desire and “I have to have it now” mentality that seizes you and won’t let go until it’s satisfied. Yes, I’m referring to material “things” but also to those ideas, concepts and  things that are truly unforgettable and will stay with me always.

Let’s start by classifying these passions. The first is the Fleeting Passion. For me, it started in second grade when some of the girls in my class pranced into school wearing their brand new go go boots. I’m not talking about the knee-high white boots made popular on television, but the shorter boots (mid-calf or thereabouts) worn by little girls. They symbolized being “cool” and I begged my mom for a pair of those boots. For the first time that I can recall, I shed honest-to-goodness “I have to have them, Mommy!” tears. When she finally relented, I wore those boots with such pride as I marched into school—and realized most of the other girls also had them and suddenly they weren’t so groovy anymore. I wore them for a few weeks but quickly tired of having to constantly scrub off the black scuff marks. Lesson learned. 

The second type of passion is the Lasting Passion. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that a big one in this category is books! One of my favorite days in school was getting the Scholastic flyers and ordering new books. Oh, the anticipation! Call me weird, but even those flyers had a unique scent that I’ll never forget. The days those books arrived was like a mini-Christmas for me. I loved everything about books—the opportunity to escape into a different world and to live vicariously through a character’s journey. I also devoured biographies of famous Americans and then discovered my lifelong obsession with Louisa May Alcott’s books. Little Women was a favorite. I especially identified with Jo March in that particular book and her desire to write stories. Imagine that!

This stage is also represented by my pre-teen days of hiding beneath the sheets late at night and reading Nancy Drew’s latest escapade with her chums Bess and George and her boyfriend, Ned. As soon as I received my $5 weekly allowance, I’d go to the store and purchase three hardback copies of Nancy Drew Books. I loved solving each mystery with Nancy and I attribute my obsession with the titian-haired teenage sleuth with my lifelong love of reading and writing. Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, a widower, epitomized a man strong in character and perhaps subconsciously inspired my admiration for those in the legal profession. It could  be one reason why I worked as a legal assistant and a paralegal for most of my working life before recently transitioning into full-time writing. And I’m equally sure Carson Drew’s influence is why lawyer Atticus Finch is my all-time favorite fictional hero!

As a teenager, a trip to a church rummage sale and a couple of dollars netted me a brown grocery bag full of Grace Livingston Hill books. Through the pages of those books, I discovered what a pure, moral, sweet romance could be with God at its center. In many ways, the heroines I remembered from those books were very much like my beloved Jo March, Nancy Drew and Cinderella combined. Perhaps that’s why I write the stories I do. Books about people who aren’t perfect, but people who try their best to live godly lives. I make them as realistic as I can as they face their share of challenges, tragedy, emotional trauma and conflict. But they also ultimately experience life’s joys and triumphs.

I’ve always been a star-gazer in some way or another. Not constellations, but of TV stars “back in the day.” My mom would buy the Hollywood “fan” magazines that actually printed addresses for the agents and studios of well-known stars. I started writing to some of the stars I admired and it was like Christmas all over again when I received an autographed photo. For the most part, those autographs were genuine signatures, smears and all.

I adored a 17-year-old ingénue named Lesley Ann Warren in her charming portrayal of Cinderella in the Rodgers and Hammerstein television musical (originally released in 1965). I wrote an impassioned letter to her, and in response, I received a glossy headshot. She’d written “Most Sincerely, Lesley Ann Warren” in beautiful penmanship on the photo of her in that gorgeous ball gown. Cinderella’s timeless story captivated me in a new way. I bought the cast album and wore it out, singing along and reliving the moments of the movie. To this day, I can still sing many of those songs lyric-for-lyric. The scenes with the oh-so-handsome prince (Stuart Damon) and Cinderella dancing together at the ball, singing to one another and then sharing a sweet, first kiss completely captivated my young imagination.

Good golly, I’d discovered romance!

Third and final is Forever Passion. At 25, I was very much like my character Lexa Clarke in my debut novel, Awakening—living a moral life but not understanding a relationship with the Lord was what I lacked in my life. I’d gone forward at an altar call when I was at Christian camp at the age of  13, but that’s where my spiritual growth was stunted. It wasn’t until I moved to Dallas and made friends with some wonderful Christian people that my eyes were opened to what I’d been missing.

During that time, I began to study God’s word in Bible studies and in church and discovered a very real passion for the Lord. In God’s perfect timing, a young man from Dallas Seminary, Jim Durgin, entered my life. I finally understood I needed to do more than invite the Lord into my heart. I needed to hold fast to His promises. I wanted to share his abundant love and be a shining “light” to others. I needed Him to be my friend and walk alongside me with every step I take through my life’s journey. You see, I’d finally discovered a “forever” kind of passion. The kind of “need to have it now” passion I pray I’ll always have and never lose sight of or allow to fade. The kind of passion to instill in my children and grandchildren. Truly, there will never be a greater demonstration of love or a greater, more timeless and enduring love story.

Someone once told me, “You must have experienced a great love in your life to be able to write the stories you do.” True enough, but although she referred to my love story with Jim, I couldn’t write the faith-inspired stories I do without the love, grace and mercy of God’s most precious love.

I’d love to hear about some of your passions! If you leave a comment and would like to read an eBook of any one of my books, please let me know which one. One commenter will be chosen to receive an eBook for you or a friend of your choosing!

Blessings,

~JoAnn
Matthew 5:16

JoAnn Durgin (36 Posts)

USA Today bestselling author JoAnn Durgin is the author of over twenty novels since her debut, Awakening (Lewis Legacy Book 1), released in late 2010. Her books include the beloved Lewis Legacy Series, as well as its prequel, Prelude. She is also the author of Catching Serenity, Heart's Design, and Gentle Like the Rain, a sequel to Heart's Design. Other novels include Echoes of Edinburgh, The Wondrous Love Series, Perchance to Dream, and the popular Starlight Christmas Series. Her latest release is The Christmas Challenge and coming up next is Pursuit, the highly anticipated Book 8 in The Lewis Legacy Series. JoAnn lives with her family in her native southern Indiana and now enjoys writing full-time and spending time with her first granddaughter, Amelia Grace. Sharing the hope and joy to be found in a relationship with Christ is her passion, and JoAnn adores writing and reading Christian romance. She loves to hear from her readers via her website or her Author JoAnn Durgin page on FB!