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.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

My books are for young adults struggling to learn about God in the Old Testament and why He does some of the things He does as well as how He loves His people. I hope to reach the average young person who feels unworthy of such love. In my two books, you will find adventure, action, and a sweet love story between the two main characters intertwined with God’s love story for His people. All characters are flawed with strong redemption arcs, have family drama, and faith struggles. Common questions about God are answered throughout the stories.

Can you share 5 random facts about this book?

The name Seti also means Seth. In Hebrew, the name Seth means “appointed”. In book 1, Seti is named after the Egyptian God. In book 2, he realizes that he is appointed.
Adam and Zechariah are named after my two sons. This book was first written for my son Adam when he struggled with the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.
Eliza is pretty much me as a teenager. In book 2, all her insecurities come to surface, as well as the constant clash with others.
Though the Sabbath hadn’t yet been an established day at the time of book 1, I needed a way to get the slaves to go back to their homes in Goshen and see each other outside of their work, especially if they didn’t live near Goshen.
I only noticed after publication, that every time Seti goes to a pyramid, he ends up fleeing it for one reason or another.

What was the inspiration behind it?

The inspiration behind my book was several things. Joel Richardon’s book Sinai to Zion helped open my eyes to God’s love story during that time and how it mirrors ancient Hebrew wedding customs. I fell in love with God’s love story for His people.

I also found that often Christians are judgmental of the Israelites and how the Israelites acted during the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, while I found it quite typical human behavior. I wanted to illustrate this. I love to imagine myself as an ordinary person during those times and what it must be like. If there are a million or so people wandering the desert with Moses, how did they all cope and learn? Some must have been at a far distance from Moses only seeing the after effects of what Moses and God does. Other fictional stories set in this period highlight main biblical characters who see everything up close, but what about the average person following along? This always fascinated me.

It was when my son was fifteen and couldn’t understand the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart that triggered me to actually start writing. It had been in my head for a while, but this is when I took pen to paper.

Can you share something interesting or surprising you learned while researching for the book?

While researching for this book, I learned that Hoshea was only called Joshua by Moses (and God) and that there is no record of him getting married or having children. Also, that he was probably in his early 40’s during this time.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I hope young readers learn that God might have chosen a people, a nation, but that He pursues each individual person for His kingdom, and one doesn’t have to be Israeli. I want young readers to recognize His pursuit of them in their own lives.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?

Readers can go to my website AshmoresWildernessBooks.com for updates and more on God’s love story.