Romance, Hope & Gratitude by Jolene Navarro
Hola, Jolene Navarro here. As romance authors, I believe we have the power to make the world a better place one book at a time. We do it with gratitude, hope and love. In my October 15th release The Texan’s Surprise Return Selena De La Rosa, the heroine gets her greatest Christmas gift.
She is a single mother of triplets, helps run the family business and serves on the city council. She lives her life-giving to others. She wants to create the best Christmas ever, not just for her sons, but for the whole community that has supported her after the death of her husband.
Before Thanksgiving she gets the biggest surprise she never expected. Her husband that has been dead for almost three years walks back into her life.
The Texan’s Surprise Return – Jolene Navarro October 15.
Romance gives the reader a feeling of hope and joy. I love writing heroines live with a grateful mindset. Despite her struggles, Selena looked for ways to stay positive and give thanks. These stories remind me that in real life I need to strive for a daily attitude of gratitude.
Saturday I spent the day celebrating women at the Feel Good Day hosted by Harlequin. The day was full of laughter with some of my family, my writing friends and members of the OSRbook club in San Antonio. We had so much fun. Robyn Carr, Brenda Jackson, Susan Mallery were the featured authors and were a true inspiration.
Feel Good Day Harlequin – Robyn Carr, Brenda Jackson, Susan Mallery
I had the honor of co-facilitating a Sharing Gratitude workshop with Holly Castillo.
Each participant stuffed a Blessing Box for the Women of Valor program. The boxes were filled with uplifting Harlequin books and a hand-colored postcard from each attendee. These boxes will be sent out via Soldier’s Angles throughout the year to serve as encouragement for the women and caretakers of San Antonio’s wounded, ill and injured service members.
We started with clearing our minds than going over five ways of living a life with a grateful mindset. We finished the session with the boxes. I want to thank Harlequin for giving us the opportunity to give to the caregivers that give so much of their lives to care for the wounded soldiers.
Feel Good Day Harlequin Women of Valor, Soldier’s Angels
Feel Good Day Harlequin Women of Valor, Soldier’s Angels
Feel Good Day Harlequin Women of Valor, Soldier’s Angels
Feel Good Day Harlequin Women of Valor, Soldier’s Angels
- Gratitude Journal– small, big, single words, pictures, drawings, items. Each day fill a small or big journal with the blessings that give you joy.
- Say Thank You. In daily prayers and with the people in your life say thank you. Take time to recognize the people that help you with the big and little things. Write it down in a thoughtful note or just say the simple words. It also gives you an immediate feeling of joy.
- Create a reminder that gives you an immediate burst of joy. Put a song on your phone, or a whole playlist that reminds you of what joy feels like. Shopify even makes it easy with a playlist and you can build your own too. A string on your wrist, a picture in a spot you see it several times. I have a family picture under a clear case on my phone. I have a friend that does a Monday Motivation post on social media. If you can find a way to shift your brain into a positive grateful thought for three to five sec a day it will make an impact in the long run.
- Volunteer. It always seems someone else is doing better – it’s a trap. Stepping outside yourself and volunteering is important to building a thankful way of living. Once you see what others are struggling with you may see that you have more to be grateful for than you thought.
- Choose an App. We have a whole world at the tip of our fingers with the internet. I have three apps to recommend but there are so many. And if one doesn’t work for you then uninstall and try another. ***”I AM” This one sends random positive quotes throughout the day. These can help break through the negativity of the day. You set how often you receive one and you can create your own. ***”Presently”A simple way to record something you’re grateful for each day. Just a quick line. ***”Bliss Gratitude Journal by John De Mott has several options and exercises to help build a gratitude mindset. One is recording what you are thankful for and why. It has exercises in Best Possible Future, Could be Worse, Honoring People, Three Good things, Transforming Problems, Meaning in Work and Savoring. This is powerful stuff for living your best life.
There are so many people that spent the day at the Fell Good event have my life richer and fuller.
Family
My family. This is my sister Tracye Ward and my daughter Storm Navarro along with friend Ariel Lee.
OSRBC San Antonio
There were women from a local book club I love. We meet once a month and talk about nothing but books. Love these ladies and their passion for romance. The Old School Romance Book Club San Antonio.
San Antonio Romance Authors
Then there were the women that have supported me and got me through the roller coaster of the publishing industry. The label friend doesn’t even touch on what they are to me. San Antonio Romance Authors. Makenna Lee, Teri Wilson, Jolene Navarro, Laura Glueck, Sasha Summers and Holly Castello.
Don’t Hide Your Magic
Do you have an app or activity that helps you stay focus on the blessing in your life?
Please share what you are thankful for.
Jolene’s life, much like her stories, is filled with faith, family, and all of life's wonderful messiness. She knows that, as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Good and evil. Vow-keepers and heart breakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who showed her that holding hands and dancing in the rain never gets old. She loves creating stories of love and faith in her much loved Texas.
Hi Jolene, wow, your heroine Selena would certainly keep busy with triplets! I’m intrigued to find out where her husband has been for three years… and why she thought he was dead…!!
Thanks for the suggestions on ways to remember to be thankful. I am incredibly thankful to God for my family and friends, for steady and satisfying work and for a home and safety. And books to read:)
Blessings:)
Hi Jolene! Thanks for sharing such an uplifting event. Being thankful and happy is a choice. I have so much to be thankful for – family, home, sustenance, a beautiful community near the shores of Lake Michigan with everything I need – great schools, libraries, shops, a hospital, museums, theater, restaurants, and so much more. At the end of your blog “it could be worse” – that line got me through 1997 a very difficult year when we lost our home and everything in it to a fire and my dad had a massive stroke. As I navigate replacing clothes for 3 boys and living in a cramped house – “it could be worse”not a tornado / hurricane were the whole community was destroyed. My parents and brother still had their homes, we had schools, stores, etc. “It could be worse” we could be living in a hotel – not a one bath, with 3 tiny bedroom rental. Yes even when our jobs are not what we expected “it could be worse” – no job, no money, etc. Life is good. Not always how we envisioned it, but good. Thank you for the tips and the reminder.
I agree with Wemble – how did Selena think her husband was dead – maybe if he was in the military or in a natural disaster. I remember during the Vietnam War – soldiers that were MIA Missing in Action, who returned after years. Best wishes. Enjoy your week.
This sounds like a great read. I’m blessed to come from a family that taught us to be thankful and grateful for everything no matter how small. Yesterday while visiting my parents who are 92 and 89 it started to sprinkle much needed rain in drought stricken WV. I said listen….my dad said …praise the Lord…which we all echoed. We then joined voices to sing Thank You Lord for your blessings on me. My parents, my sister, my cousin and spouse, and myself made a joyful noise for we were thankful for just a few drops. Have a blessed day and choose JOY no matter how dark the day.
I am thankful for many things in life. Provision, health, God’s continued healing, family, house, freedom to worship, many more. God has blessed abundantly. It is good to be reminded to be thankful daily. We’ve just received much needed rain and are thankful for that.
I’m curious how a “dead” husband shows up again n!
Blessings!
Choosing thankfulness, choosing JOY is so powerful. We may not choose all our circumstances and situations, but we can choose our attitude and outlook! Blessings!
Your book sounds good! Great post, too!! I’m thankful I still have my 95 year old Mom with me. I agree with Valerie, choosing thankfulness is great! We can look around and always see people a lot worse off than we are, especially those that don’t know Christ!! Thank you for the tips, too!!
Nicely stated Valerie!
Being thankful for what you do have is a better way to live. Selena’s husband worked for a private organization that works to free victims of human trafficking. He’s in Colombia on a private case and there is an ambush and a mistaken identity. He has a head injury and id confused when they tell him he is someone else. Once he is freed from the rebel camp he discovers his real name. :) It was tricky and fun to write.
Wow, Renate. That was a hard time. It could be worse has gotten me through some tough times too. The hero was working undercover in the jungles of Colombia. Mistaken ID, brain injury and a rebel camp all delaying him getting home. Thank you for stopping by.
What a wonderful moment Lucy. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Diana. God’s blessing are abundant. He was working undercover in Colombia to get a child-free. An ambush leaves him in a rebel camp with a mistaken ID and a brain injury.
Yes. Shifting your thoughts shifts your life.
Hi Trudy. Thank you for visiting. Yes, it is all perspective.
As a french feelgood author, my french heroin helps special need children families with donkeys and fun holidays… I hope I’ll get the concept publish in the US too… Cheers
Looks like you had a wonderful time. These are great ideas. No I dont have an app. I still use paper and pen. Right now I am grateful for doctors that take the time to get to the bottom of what the problem is and give ideas for the best way to take care of it. Without pushing meds. My husband has an infected kidney because of a huge kidney stone. We are treating the infection now and hopefully at the end of the month the stone can be taken care of.
I too love the premise of this book.
I love what you are doing in packing the blessing packs. At Christmas we have a charity called Share the Dignity who have a drive for #itsinabag. The it’s in a bag drive is to collect handbags/backpacks for women, and teens and new mothers who are homeless, or in shelters or displaced due to poverty and domestic violence. The idea is to pack a bag with the basics, (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, soap, and sanity items) and then add some luxuries like lipstick, body lotion, etc. I normally add a word search book and other things. Would love to add a book but at present don’t have the funds. I am doing between 6 – 8 with at least 3 for teens. I do this through out the year looking for bargains. Then by the beginning of Nov make sure I have all items. (I currently only have one item to buy for a few of the bags) they get collected from the middle of November.
While I don’t have a lot I do have a roof over my head and a safe place to live. I also have more than many of the people who receive a bag and love the idea I can give joy to someone in need and I also know but for the Grace of God I could have been homeless myself.
What a wonderful, uplifting way to spend the day!
What a great concept. My first book had a donkey named Fred. :)
Lori, pen and paper is a great way to connect to your positive energy. I’ll pray for you and the doctors. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, Jenny you are doing great work. It is amazing the little daily items we just take for granted. Thank you for doing this.
It really was and reminded me how grateful I am. Thank you for stopping by.