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Alice Warner has always been a loner, determined to leave behind the expectations and attention of others. But regardless of her intent, she had caught the eye and heart of Mitch Davis.

Although they attend the same school, they're from two different worlds, something that is easily seen and not so easy to escape.

But as their secret comes to light, they will see just how different their worlds, and now futures, really are. And will be forced to face the reality of what that means for them both.

Contemporary Fiction

Book Club Fiction

Women's Fiction

“My writing isn’t always about me, but it is me. It’s my pain. My hidden emotions. It’s the way I see life—both cruel and beautiful.”
-Jennifer R. Jensen

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”

E. L. Doctorow

Last weekend, I reached a goal that defined much of my past year: completing the second editions of my book series.

Revisiting my work—page by page, scene by scene—was more than just refining words. It was a reflection of how much my writing has evolved, how much I’ve learned, and how far I’ve come since I first put these stories on paper. It wasn’t always easy, but in the process, I found something unexpected: confidence. Confidence in my voice, my growth, and my ability to keep moving forward in this journey.

And I’ve realized this isn’t just true for writing—it’s been true in my life as well. Over the past few years, I’ve done things I once swore I would never do or could never do—until I did. Growth often comes disguised as discomfort, as the moments that force us to rethink what we believe about ourselves. But when we push through, we don’t just move forward—we prove to ourselves that we are capable of more than we ever imagined.

Whether in writing, work, or personal goals, growth isn’t about starting over—it’s about building on what we’ve already done, learning, and making it stronger.

#WritingJourney #Growth #LessonsLearned #SecondEditions #KeepGoing

✨It’s here!✨
The second edition of my third book, The Villain, released while I was in Japan. 🇯🇵 I ordered my copy as soon as I got back, and now it’s finally in my hands. There’s something so special about seeing it in print again. 📚💙

For those new to Harper’s story:
Harper uproots her life in search of a fresh start, but leaving her past behind proves harder than she imagined. As she faces old temptations and new challenges, she must decide what—or who—she’s willing to give up to rebuild herself and find peace.

Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven fiction.

#TheVillain #SecondEdition #ContemporaryFiction #WomensFiction #RomanticFiction #BookishLife

Just returned from an incredible trip to Japan with my husband, and I wanted to share a little piece of my amazing experience! ✈️🌸

We started in Tokyo, though after a 14-hour flight, we didn’t have the energy to explore much before heading to Kyoto the next morning, where we spent most of our trip. Each day, we took the trains to explore different parts of the island, uncovering unique sights, flavors, and traditions along the way. 🚄✨

One of the highlights? The mountains! We ventured on three hikes, each offering stunning views and a sense of peace I’ll never forget. But the most rewarding part of the trip wasn’t the scenery—it was the chance to truly immerse myself in Japanese culture. From the hospitality and history to the small, quiet moments that made every day special, I came away inspired and deeply appreciative of everything I experienced.

Sharing some of my favorite moments in the photos below 📸—I hope they give a glimpse into just how special this trip was!

It's release day for my second edit of the Victim, book 2 in my series 💙 Im working through the edits of book 3 right now, and I'm just so incredibly proud of how far my writing has come.

I'm excited to finish up the series and work on new material, but at the moment, I'm going to celebrate this moment and this new personal win 💙

What an amazing surprise to get in the mail 💙 I truly love and appreciate the connections I've made in the bookish world. Thank you so much of thinking of me and Im excited watch your new direction take hold 💙💙😍

Just finished the sequel to my Novella “The Defective”. Hoping to release “The Disenchanted” this spring! 😍

While every year is a year for learning, I decided to change up my way of educating myself in 2024.

Each month I would pick a new topic. My books, meditations, podcasts, and affirmations would all align with one overarching theme.

I started off my year with the perfect word, Confidence.

With my confidence in mind, I meditated every day this month. From guided meditations about remembering my strengths to manifesting my successful future self, each morning I started my day with excitement and purpose.

I read the "Body Neutral", an amazing book by Jessi Kneeland that helped me understand the deeper reasons running behind our self criticism when looking in the mirror (and how to work on overcoming them).

I listened to "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy on my way to work, on my way home, and while I got ready in the morning. And once finished, I listened to "Becoming" by Michelle Obama. Both incredible memoirs by incredible women. And both a great reminder that we don't know what other people are facing on the other side of what may appear to be a glamorous life.

I also read "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. The universe plopped this gem into my lap at the perfect time. While my goal for the year wasn't necessarily to improve my happiness (although, lets be honest, that is always a welcomed accompaniment of anything) the general tones and topics in the book were absolutely on point with what I was looking to achieve.

Monthly topics and monthly growth all written by a woman who clearly has the same type of personality that I do. I connected instantly with her drive and the necessity of needing an objective in everything she does.

For anyone who reads this and wishes they had the discipline to read more, meditate more, etc. understand that each of our lives are different and require different things from us. I didn't start by being able to meditate daily, that took over a year to get to. I have days where I'm way to mentally taxed to even read the subtitles for The Office. As Voltaire says, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". You need to start somewhere. Just start!

Next months topic: Behavior.

Had a friend request that I put my novella (a modern day retelling of beauty and the beast) in print. I was planning on doing it at some point, so that was a good push to do it. Received my copy today 😍 so pretty!

“People Inspire People.”

As I got to the part of Dave Grohl’s memoir that said those three words, I took a moment to reflect on them.

…About the people that inspire me and what I do to inspire.

Which got me thinking…

No matter what it is I’ve done in my career, or even in my personal life, the thing that gives me purpose is doing what I can to inspire.

Whether it is to inspire someone to have a better mood that day. Inspire them to lead instead of manage. Inspire them to make themselves a priority. Inspire them to do something outside of their comfort zone--because even in the event of failure there is a sense of accomplishment.

I aim to inspire people to see the power that is within them, as once upon a time, I needed help seeing my own. 💙

#inspire #inspireothers #leadership #peopledevelopment

Been listening to this song on repeat all week, so figured I should pair it with my series new covers 💙

Wear it.

That’s my message today.

I was never one who cared for fashion. Make up. Hair dos. Accessories. But as I’ve gotten older, it became an interest of mine.

Trying new styles…finding MY style.

I saw this bright cropped sweater a couple weeks ago. I HAD to have it. So I bought it. And then everyday when I picked out my clothes, I wondered if it was too much and left it on the hanger.

So on a rainy Friday morning I decided to wear it.

I’ve gotten so many compliments on it only an hour in at the office.

This is not to say wear it so people compliment you. Wear it because IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY.

Do YOU like it? Do YOU feel comfortable in it?

If yes, WEAR IT.

I’ve always said that I’m an open book, but people don’t always know why that is.

It’s because I want people to know that I am a safe space. That they are not alone. And that they are heard and their feelings are valid.

I may not always be seen as a high caliber person because of this, but my connection to the many and how we can help change the world (both inside and outside of the work place) matters more to me than how I am perceived by the few.

If anyone were to ask me my top interest, I would, and will more than likely always answer, music.

Music has shaped a big part of who I am. It is how I coped as a child. How I process life as an adult. And how I spend my drives, my showers, and any amount of time that should be silence in my head. When I listen to music, I feel it deeply. So deeply, that sometimes I cry, sometimes I rage, but most of the time my body fills with goosebumps.

If you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t know, Spotify does a wrap up every year for each individual listener. The artist below were my top 5 (which literally happens to match my top list of favorite artists of all time—needing to add an honorary mention of Eminem).

In 2023, I listened to 34,961 minutes of music. That obviously doesn’t include the music I listened to on YouTube, TikTok, and the occasional radio. While I had many other accomplishments and key parts of my 2023, I love how much of my time I got to spend doing something I love.

I wonder what it would look like if we were able to track all the minutes for everything else we do and categorize them (that could easily fall into a Black Mirror episode if it hasn’t already lol).

I look forward to 2024 and beating my listening record of 2023. Along with many other accomplishments I know my future holds 💙

If you've ever spent any amount of time talking with me, you would know that I give a f*** about everything. I have always cared about everything I have done and said, and everything I was going to do and say. I also cared about what everyone else did and said.

To say the least, I'm exhausted.

I love that I care so much about others and what happens to them, but there does come a tipping point when my cup would be completely empty and yet I some how kept pouring.

If this sounds familiar, let me tell you a secret, you can give less f*cks. You can choose what to care about and what not to. You can let things go.

No, it's not easy. No, it's not overnight. Like everything else it takes time. It takes practice. It takes finding the things worth giving a f*ck about and then doing just that 💙

You can learn quite a bit from memoirs, and whether you agree or not, even celebrity ones.

I find memoirs interesting because I'm always curious to learn more about other people and the lives they live and how they got to where they are at... which could be a good or bad place in life.

I have been enthralled in Britney's memoir "The Woman In Me" for the past few days. And while I find it extremely interesting (and disturbing) to get a glimpse into the other side of the things we saw play out in the media, I also think there were some great take aways from her words.

The main take away being, you don't know what others are going through. We say it time and time again, people put on brave faces. People suffer in silence. Or in Britney's case, publicly.

Just because the media is reporting it, doesn't mean its true. Just because someone says something, doesn't mean it's factual. Live your life in a way that lends kindness instead of hate. Or at the very least save the hate for the real problems in the world, and not for what a celebrity looks like, who they date, or how they handle their own personal situations (that includes your family, friends, co workers, and that random person that you met that doesn't need your rude opinion).

"There's a difference between blaming someone else for your situation and that person's actually being responsible for your situation. Nobody else is ever responsible for your situation but you. Many people may be to blame for your unhappiness, but nobody is ever responsible for your unhappiness but you. This is because you always get to choose how you see things, how you react to things, how you value things. You always get to choose the metric by which to measure your experiences."

-Mark Manson "The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F#ck"-

Timing is EVERYTHING. You cannot convince me otherwise. I have quite a few incidences in my life that have shown me exactly that. I was loaned the book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F$ck" from a co-worker back in 2018 that I never got around to reading.

Fast forward to 2023, another kid, pandemic and job later, I’ve finally picked it up (I’m incredibly sorry to said co worker about not returning the book. As you know, this is very unlike me). But this book has never been packed away, and has never been further than 10 feet from my night stand... just waiting to be picked up and consumed.

Finally, I caved and picked it up. In 2018 I wouldn’t have gotten very far into this book. In 2018 I would have been intrigued by its common use of the work f**k but not enough to really listen to what was being taught. I truly believe things come to us in life when we are ready to receive them.

If I had given this book a “chance” then, I more than likely wouldn’t have given it a chance now. In 2018 this book would have been a “sounds good in theory” type take home. But in 2023, I hung on to every word, understanding exactly what it was I was being told. If you haven’t read it yet, you should. But even if you don’t just yet, I believe you will when you are ready to actually receive the lessons it has to give. 💙

**More insight from this book to come!**

❤️ Main takeaways from The Passion Paradox ❤️

**Six key principles for the mastery mind-set**
1.) Drive from within 2.) Focus on the process 3.) Don’t worry about being the best—worry about being the best at getting better 4.) Embrace acute failure for chronic gains 5.)Patience 6.) Be here now
**Self awareness is the only countervailing force strong enough to match the extreme inertia of passion. Possessing it ensures that you can thoughtfully evaluate your passions; that you don't look back twenty years from now and regret how you spent your time.
**Keep your identity separate from your accomplishments.
**Enduring motivation comes from three basic needs: Competency, autonomy, and relatedness.
**As humans we tell stories to ourselves to get through events in our lives. They are either fixed (negative) ones, or growth (positive) ones.
**Mindfully living with a passion can be the key to a life well lived.

❤️ Favorite quotes ❤️

"This means we should set aside the time, space, and energy to give our respective passions our all. It doesn't need to be all day, every day, but we do need to prioritize this time and make it sacred."

"Maybe the good life is not about trying to achieve some sort of illusory balance. Instead, maybe it's about pursuing your passions fully and harmoniously, but with enough self-awareness to regularly evaluate what you're not pursuing as a result-and make changes if necessary."

"When fear dies, you begin to live."

"Whether [passion] is a gift or a curse, that is largely up to you."

If you didn't already know, the truth is, we hold ourselves back.

We do it by doubting ourselves, restricting ourselves, by telling ourselves "no" and "I can't".

And again, if you didn't already know, that's fear talking.

Fear is a normal part of life. The fear you feel is meant to be there to stop you from being killed by a pack of wildebeests. It's not there to prevent you from taking a chance on yourself by going for that promotion, learning a new skill you've always wanted to, or saying yes to a much-needed night out.

Trust me when I say that I understand the all-consuming feeling of fear. The self-doubt. The rejecting of my own ideas before someone else has the chance to. But I also know the feeling of standing up to that fear and doing it anyway.

Don't let fear stop you from living ❤️

Growing up, I faced a lot of adversity, both at school and at home. So, proving people wrong became my motivator.

And while I've worked on not seeking external validation/caring what others think, I do still find a bit of motivation from the nay-sayers—but not for the same reasons as before.

Instead, I now lead with the hope that I can show them that my perceived "impossible" is possible. And maybe my tenacity will motivate them to achieve greatness of their own.

I had a (hopefully) unique experience this weekend at a local festival that I wanted to share with my friends in business.

While shuffling along with the crowd, admiring each booth and the owner’s artist genius, I was awestruck by the beauty of one particular artist’s work. While their art was in a different form than many of the others that I was specifically there to see, I couldn’t help but move into the booth to get a better look and to compliment the artist on their incredible pieces.

When I asked if they had a business card they responded with, “The kiss of death” in a not so friendly manner. When I asked obtusely what they meant, they said, “you’re going to leave the booth without buying anything.”
Honestly, I was shocked. Who spoke to their customers that way and expected sales? Sure, they were right in the fact I didn’t have any intention of buying that day, but that by no means meant I wouldn’t in the future. Or that I wouldn’t share their website and art with others.

It’s important to remember that in business, but especially in small businesses, you are the face of your work. You are the marketing team. The customer care team. The owner of every facet of that business. And while it is disheartening to have customers leave your booth, your store, your website, etc. without a purchase, it takes time to build a base. To build rapport. To see the long-term effects of your effort.

You are planting a seed. Businesses take time. Treat every person as if they are a future customer and focus on the potential. And whatever you do, try and avoid making someone regret giving you there time.

Just happened to see that “The Vice” hit 50 reviews! That’s so exciting 💙 So glad that people are still reading my books and enjoying them 💙

Attended another successful and beautiful wedding 💙

At my sons soccer practice getting to enjoy one of the last warm days before the fall weather sets in 💙

Taking my therapist advice and setting aside time each day for myself. Alone.

My mental health needs it 💙

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@jjensenbooks

Free novella with newsletter sign-up

“My writing isn’t always about me, but it is me. It’s my pain. My hidden emotions. It’s the way I see life—both cruel and beautiful.” -Jennifer R. Jensen

E. L. Doctorow

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“My writing isn’t always about me, but it is me. It’s my pain. My hidden emotions. It’s the way I see life—both cruel and beautiful.”
-Jennifer R. Jensen