Seek Joy And You Will Find It

Life is not perfect and it never will be. Good and bad times come and go. Happy moments are sprinkled with times of trial. but no matter what, you can always look for and find the joy, even if it's just little things. I've been feeling under the weather a lot lately and I've had times that I have felt like I'm done with this life, that I can't go on feeling so awful. Then little things happen to bring me moments of joy and I know I can and will go on. Even simple things like watching my kids acting crazy with their friends, hearing the good news of others, or even just being granted enough energy to trim my rose bushes and prune my flowers bring me happy moments.

So these these days, I hold onto those moments and give thanks to God for them. Those moments help me to remember that my life does still matter, and even during the trials, I still have purpose. That knowledge, most of all, helps to lift my spirits and brings me joy.

Here are some neat little thoughts I found on looking for the joy in everything.

"The more we express our gratitude to God for our blessings,
the more he will bring to our mind other blessings. The more
we are aware of to be grateful for, the happier we become."
- Ezra Taft Benson
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

- E E. Cummings
Happiness is a grateful spirit, an optimistic attitude, and a
heart full of love.

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not
that we seize them, but they seize us.
- Ashley Montagu

Happy people roll with the punches. They know from experience that
everything changes. Today's good fortune may vanish tomorrow,
today's crises may turn out to be tomorrow's good fortune.

Suggested Reading

Book: Trapped
Author: Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

The Book
A forged letter, a golden vial, an ancient curse...
Her expression remained somber, but excitement crept into her voice. You are the Firstborn She...You must go to them. You want me to act as bait? Not bait, Emi. A spy. Our Trojan horse.

When Emi Warrin wakes one night to find a thief in her mother's house, she has no idea the intruder has planted a trap - a mysterious letter that will change her life forever. Lured to the Austrian Alps with Daniel, the man she loves, Emi is thrown into a perilous, mafia-like world of feuding families and a devastating curse that spans generations. As the Firstborn She - the only firstborn female in hundreds of years - only Emi can free her family from the curse that will soon afflict her as well. But for Emi to break the curse, she must delve into evil designs.
As Emi struggles to understand her destiny as the Firstborn She, she learns that everything isn't as it seems and that all choices have consequences. Can Emi break the curse before it's too late?

Romance and mystery is a good combination and this book has both. (Not to mention the author is a sweet lady:-))It was a very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of Ronda's work.

Also, order your copies of my newest ebooks Tears of Heaven, Forbidden Portals: The Quicksilver Project, and Of Blessings and Dreams: The Legacy by logging onto jadamsnovels.com

Got Talent?

This morning I've been thinking about talents and gifts and I came across this neat thought on talents and turning them into strengths.

"We all have natural and innate abilities to do some things better than others. Our genetics determine, to a certain degree, our predispositions and inclinations. We are endowed with gifts from birth that make us uniquely competent in ways that others are not. "Talent is only the starting point," as Berlin accurately points out, and it's up to us to develop our natural abilities into strengths, if we are to truly maximize our potential.

People who learn how to develop their talents into strengths are the ones that tend to stand out. They are the star athletes, innovative scientists, popular artists and successful entrepreneurs. These exemplary performers understand the value of shaping, polishing and perfecting natural abilities."

When we discover our talents, we should magnify them and not let them go to waste or we may lose them, and that would be a shame.

Suggested Reading

This past week, I had the opportunity to read The Road Show, a new LDS novel by Braden Bell. It's a quick read, which I love, and it's a heart-tugger.

The Book
Scott Jenson hates everything he knows about road shows: cheap costumes, silly songs, and bad acting. Being asked to create a road show is his worst nightmare come true. Can flawed but talented artist create a piece of art that testifies of Jesus Christ? And is there any way that something so trivial can have a healing effect on the lives of five troubled souls? A pornography addict, a depressed young mother, a sick older woman, a lonely outcast, and a spiritually numb elder s quorum president are about to find out. Braden Bell gives a five-star performance with Road Show: Beauty for Ashes. With true-to-life characters, humorous situations, and tender realizations, this book is guaranteed to make you smile and applaud for more.

I loved all the characters in this story and came away from the book feeling uplifted with a renewed knowledge of how God is truly mindful of each and every one of us. It's a great story.

Braden was kind enough to answer some questions about himself and his book. Here are his answers.

Me: Braden, tell us a little about yourself.

Braden: I was born in UT and grew up in Farmington. I have a BA and MA in theatre from BYU and then went to NYC for 3 years to go a PhD at NYU. I now live outside of Nashville, TN with my wife and we have 5 children. I love to garden and read and go on walks with Ginger, our German Shepherd. I teach music and theatre at a small private school.

Me: What got you into writing?

Braden: I have always wanted to be a writer. Since I learned to read and write, I have always been working on some project.
Me: How did you come up with the story for The Road Show?

Braden: About 7 or 8 years ago, I was called to direct our ward's road show. While waiting for our turn to perform, the idea flashed into my mind. It was more of a series of questions, really. "What if the director had a secret?" "What if the leading lady was depressed?" and so on. Within a few weeks, I had a very clear idea of the opening and closing scenes.

Me: Are you currently working on any other projects?

Braden: Yes, I write compulsively! I have several things in various stages right now. The WIP that is probably the closest to being finished is a middle grade novel for a more national audience. I call it a suburban fantasy because it takes place in a small, private school.

I definitely look forward to reading more of Braden's work in the future:-)

New Ebook Release

Today I am excited to announce the release of two new ebooks. Forbidden Portals: The Quicksilver Project is a children's reader written under the name J.A. Lightender, and Of Blessings and Dreams: The Legacy is an LDS contemporary romance.

Forbidden Portals: Thr Quicksilver Project
Renny is your average teenager. He's tall, lanky, and an easy target for the neighborhood bully. But things quickly change when his parents buy him a not-so-average dog. Entering “Ernie's Pet Shack” was an experience Renny would not soon forget, nor could he guess the adventure that awaited him once he took his dog, Lou home. The two were about to embark on a quest that would change the world as Renny knew it.

Of Blessings and Dreams: The Legacy
North Carolina native, Cisely Matthews, has seen and suffered much in her twenty-two years of life and has the scars to prove it. When amazing blessings begin to come to her, she wonders if she will ever feel worthy enough to deserve them.

Ingo Kelly is thrown for an emotional loop when he leaves Australia to go for his semiannual visit with his aunt in Utah and meets Cisely for the first time. But getting her to accept his love is a challenge he is more than willing to take on.

Adagio St. John is Ingo's best friend, and Adagio thinks of him as the brother he never had. When he travels to Utah, from his home in Italy to attend Ingo and Cisely's wedding, he is truly overjoyed that his friend has found happiness with such an amazing woman and hopes he can find the same happiness one day and end the loneliness he struggled with on a daily basis.

But the strong bond that quickly forms between the three will see them through both sorrows and joys none of them had ever expected.

Get your copy of these two new ebook by logging onto jadamsnovels.com
Order both books and receive a copy of the ebook Tears of Heaven free!

Embracing Life's Changes

As I enter this middle phase of my life, I've been seized upon by changes I never expected, both physically and emotionally. I was never warned about these changes and they took we way off guard. Since I'm still ever-learning, I've done a lot of reading and studying and I now know how to better handle my situation. So, instead of concentrating on the negative, I'm focusing my attention on the positive things about getting older. Here are a few neat little thoughts I found and wanted to share:-)

We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. - Anonymous

Age is a matter of feeling, not of years. To me, old age is fifteen years older than I am.

In youth we learn, in age we understand. Middle age is when you've met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else. (I love that one!)

Suggested Reading

Book: The Golden Spiral: Book Two In the Hourglass Door Trilogy
Author: Lisa Mangum
The Book
His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back . . . The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically. As Abby s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante or doom him. With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point and beyond. Zo s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected and unlikely ally. The bank is eroding. The barriers are thinning. And time is running out.

There Is No Such Thing As Can't

Have you ever wanted to try something only to talk yourself out of trying by saying you can't accomplish it? Have you ever thought about writing a book, taking art or sewing lessons, taking some classes at a community college, entering a race, or anything you've never tried? Have you ever confided in someone about something you dream of doing only to hear them say you can't do it?

I watch my kids face life's challenges and think of what brave souls they are, because despite trials and opposition, they face life head-on and go after their dreams. They let their light shine, and each time they do, they better themselves. The words "you can't do it" roll right off them. Oh, to have that kind of innocence! If adults possessed that, we would realize more dreams than we ever thought possible-the kind of dreams that would make this world a much better place.

So my advice is if you want try something you've never tried or want to accomplish something you never thought to seek after, if it is something that will better yourself and affect your surroundings in a positive way, go for it.
Because when we don't try or say we can't, then we've already defeated ourselves.

Suggested Reading

Book: The Fairy Thorne
Author: Dorothy Keddington

The Book
The long awaited novel, The Fairy Thorn, has just arrived. Dorothy Keddington, author of Jayhawk, Return to Red Castle and more, has another timeless romance.

Small town librarian Lucy Norris longs for romance and adventure, yet her life is a calendar of sameness--until the morning she spies a tall ship sailing through Deception Pass. The sighting becomes a catalyst for change and Lucy soon finds herself a key player in a dangerous masquerade and the quest for a legendary lost painting.

I love all of Dorothy Keddington's books and have been going through withdrawals waiting for a new one from her. This one was just as exciting to read as the rest of her books:-)

You Really Like Tears of Heaven!

A friend gave me a piece of advice one day that I took as heaven sent.
I was concerned about which way to take my writing and her advice was, "Never let anyone or anything change the voice of your writing because when you do, it's no longer your writing. I'm so glad I listened, because words and ideas are flowing like they never have before, and some great things are happening.

My newest novella ebook Tears of Heaven has received some great reviews and comments, which makes me extremely happy. The story was one that came to me a few years back when I was vacationing in Sweden and it is set there. I was a little nervous when I decided to release it as an ebook because I didn't know how it would be received, but after the initial reaction of "Oh, it's just an ebook," the book as taken off. I'm pleased people like it and hopefully it will win over more fans in the future.

About the Book.
Escaping from an abusive relationship, Heaven Gundersen flees to the safety of her grandparent's home and begins a new life in Sweden, praying the past is behind her. When she accepts the housekeeping job arranged by her grandparents, she has no idea how much it will change his life. Her boss, Sergei Petrenko, is a retired hockey player, and definitely not what she had expected.
No matter how hard she tries to guard her heart, Sergei's kindness makes it impossible to do and she once again opens up to love. But leaving the past behind isn't as easy as she hoped it would be, and the peace she has found in her new life is about to be shattered by the nightmare she thought she'd escaped.
Tears of Heaven is the new emotionally charged LDS novella that will touch your heart and make you cheer the endurance of the human spirit.

Log onto jadamsnovels.com and order your copy today!

Slowing It Down

This past couple of months have been the craziest I've experienced in a long, long time, and at times, I've felt like I might pass out from exhaustion. From traveling back and forth-back and forth from northern Utah to southern Utah for a grand-baby's birth to making trips to the chiropractor because of throwing my back out on my daughter's futon, to being very sick for a few weeks, I haven't been able to write as much as I usually do. But have no fear-I'm still doing all right. As a matter of fact, I'm doing so all right, I will be releasing three ebooks this spring/summer, and I've even started a new book.
Because I'm not recuperating as fast as I had hoped, I have decided to slow things down and give myself a break from writing every few days for a while. As much as my mind is rebelling against it right now, I will not type another word on my book tonight. I'm taking some time to smell the roses. Well . . . not smell the roses, but at least spend an hour with Jack Bauer as he saves the world yet again on 24:-)
So, my thought for the week is take time to slow down and allow life to catch up with you instead of the other way around. I promise ya, it will be worth it.

Be sure to order your copy of my newest LDS contemporary romance ebook Tears of Heaven by clicking on the link to the right!