About the Book

Book: FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE

Author: EJ Ashmore

Genre: Biblical Fiction/young adult

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Sixteen-year-old Eliza has accepted life as a Hebrew slave in Egypt, never to be seen, heard, or loved. After all, she has it good, working alongside her sister for the wealthy Ameneten family. Though unworthy of love, she is free to love others, and she loves her master’s oldest son, Seti (unbeknownst to him).

Only when Moses returns to the land of Egypt to free his people is she emboldened to pray to the ancient God her mother used to speak of, and she prays for the love of Seti, but only if he first rejects his gods and falls for the Hebrew God.

As the God of gods hardens Pharaoh’s heart, He softens Seti’s and pursues him with a love Seti has never known, while also shining His face on Eliza who learns she is indeed worthy of love.

This is the Exodus as told from both Eliza and Seti as a love story between God and His people, God and Seti, and Seti and Eliza.

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About the Author

EJ Ashmore, a mother, wife, and a nurse, only wrote for fun as a teenager. Once babies and college got in the way, she stopped, but she also no longer wanted to write unless it was for God. When her son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him, she took to writing again. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story- from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became EJ’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is EJ’s debut novel.

More from EJ

When Lisa Phillip’s son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him for it, she took to writing. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story—from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became Lisa’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is Lisa’s debut novel. Since there is already a well-known author by the name of Lisa Phillips, a pen name was chosen.

Interview with the Author

Which character did you connect to best in this book?

Eliza is pretty much me as a teen. This is shown even more in the second book. She’s insecure, rash, and vulnerable, yet she hates these things about herself. She also feels unworthy of God’s attention. She’s dirty with frizzy curly hair, and not that pretty. But she’s in love with somebody way out of her league and who doesn’t love her God, and the boy doesn’t even know it. In fact, he humiliates her. Just like me as a teen.

What inspired this book?

Several things inspired me to write this. First, I love to imagine myself as an ordinary person in the Old Testament, especially in the Wilderness wanderings. I think people are too judgmental about the Israelites and how they acted, when to me, it’s just normal human depravity. I wanted to illustrate this with ordinary characters witnessing everything and going through the thought process and emotions people back then must have gone through, while also not being VIP’s (important people of that time or having the “inside” perspective of what was happening).

Joel Richardson’s book SINAI TO ZION helped me see the big picture of God’s love story for His people and how it is patterned after ancient Hebrew wedding customs. I fell in love with God and want others to see God the way I do.

The trigger for me to get writing was when my fifteen year old son struggled with the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. I struggled with this too as a teen, as well as my worthiness of God’s love. I feel like there is a deep need for this realization, especially among young people now days.

Which author influenced you the most?

Joel Richardson and Connilyn Cossette influenced me the most. I love Connilyn’s writing style. I aspire to write like her.

What is your vacation spot?

I love to be on a mountain or at the edge of the Pacific Ocean where there are minimal to zero people. I love the view and the intimacy I feel with God, places that make me feel small and God feel so big and beautiful. My character Seti also loves these.

If you could have one book or piece of art or music on a deserted island, what would it be and why?

On a deserted island, I’d have to have the Bible. I know that sounds cliché, but it never gets old and you never stop learning new things in it. Specifically the Old Testament. It’s filled with revelations of God’s character, His reactions, His feelings, how He chooses people, How he loves people and redeems them. I love how He uses sarcasm, poetry, parables, and idioms specific to the people He’s speaking to. Also, the variety of books and writing styles in the Old Testament never gets old. From storytelling, instructions, poetry, individual prayers and lament, feeling like God is far away or being enraptured by God, and how every book contains the big picture. There’s just so much.