Category Archives: In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography)

My Book: Book Two – The Early Years (My Early Lyrics and Poems)

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Here’s an excerpt from the second book of my serialized autobiography (currently 10 volumes): In Search of the Meaning of Life: Book Two – The Early Years (My Early Lyrics and Poems)

“Ultimately, my original lyrics and poems included in this volume collectively reflect a time of intense searching in my life, and are best viewed as having laid the literary foundation that would later culminate in the adventures, stories, novels, philosophy, songs and blogs I have written to date and plan to publish sequentially throughout 2018 and beyond – enjoy!”

Here’s the link to both the Kindle Version (free to read on Kindle Unlimited) and Paperback Version (198 pages, 6″x9″ format) – view this post online to see the link:

Here’s the link to my Amazon Author Page – Mark D. Jones (I’m currently editing my 17th and 18th books):

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B078RRS631?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

 

My Latest Book: Book Ten – England, Scotland, Wales & France (Part Two)

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I’ve just published In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Ten – England, Scotland, Wales & France (Part Two) about my solo-bicycle adventure to the British Isles and France in 1979.  Each book of my serialized autobiography is a standalone book and doesn’t require first reading earlier volumes.  They are all free to read with Kindle Unlimited as well.

Here’s the link to Book Ten in Kindle format:

Here’s the link to Book Ten in Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Meaning-Life-Autobiography-Scotland/dp/1722430893/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

About this Book:

This is the story of the second half of my solo-bicycle adventure to England, Scotland, Wales & France during the late spring and early summer of 1979.  I was living a dream of mine to travel overseas and see the British Isles and the Continent, and was now setting out to explore Scotland, Northern and Central England and Wales before returning to Seattle, WA, on a Pan Am 747.

The theme of my adventure so far had been the wonderful hospitality and graciousness of the British people in how they’d taken care of me and welcomed me into their homes.  I was now setting off on a journey of discovery through ancient and idyllic lands I’d never seen before and couldn’t wait to experience all they had to offer me…

About the Author:

In some small way, my hope in writing my autobiography and sharing my thoughts with you is to help you realize your own hopes, dreams, passions and desires in life as I have.  I hope this process of providing you with the lessons I’ve learned and the insights I’ve acquired along the many pathways in life I’ve traveled, will allow you to both gain from my mistakes and profit from the lessons I’ve learned.

Hopes and dreams flee the status quo for the dreamers, the ponderers, the thinkers, the doers, the adventurers, the risk-takers and the ones who understand the lives they’ve been gifted as being too short and precious to waste a single day of going through the motions.  Adventure now called me to somehow find a way to accomplish what had always been a childhood dream of mine, a dream to see and explore the Old World for myself!  Cheers!  Mark

Here’s the link to my Author Page – Mark D. Jones:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B078RRS631?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book: Book Nine – England, Scotland, Wales & France (Part One)

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I’ve just published In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Nine – England, Scotland, Wales & France (Part One) about my solo-bicycle adventure to the British Isles and France in 1979.  Each book of my serialized autobiography is a standalone book and doesn’t require first reading earlier volumes.  They are all free to read with Kindle Unlimited as well.

Here’s the link to Book Nine:

About this Book:

This is the story of the first part of my solo-bicycle adventure to England, Scotland, Wales and France, where I gave up all that I was in Seattle at the time in May 1979 to follow my heart for the uncertain promise of becoming all I could be.  All I knew at the time was when I returned to Seattle I’d be homeless, jobless, carless and pretty close to penniless, but it was that important to me to remain true to my spirit of adventure and honor my commitment to myself to live a life of adventure, and somehow make all my hopes, dreams, passions and desires in life come true.  I didn’t want to live a life of regret having given up on my dreams of travel, so I stripped away all I was at the time for the chance of becoming so much more…

About the Author: Mark D. Jones

My heart told me this was what it wanted me to do and if I’d learned anything in life, I was sure that one of the most important truisms concerning meaning and purpose in life was to remain true to who we know ourselves to be – it’s originally finding out for ourselves what our calling in life really is and who we are as a person, that can be the most difficult part.

I’d learned over time, and through trial and error, that I was filled with a spirit of adventure and needed to remain true to who I knew myself to be.  It was this truth that allowed me to pursue my hopes and dreams of seeing the world, and let the chips fall where they might in dealing with the aftereffects of my decision.  I was committed to follow this spirit of adventure and once I made my decision to leave Electricraft Stereo and bicycle overseas, I never looked back!  Cheers!  Mark

Here’s the link to my Author Page – Mark D. Jones:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B078RRS631?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book: Book Eight – A Book of Philosophy

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I’ve just published my latest book: In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Eight – A Book of Philosophy.  Here’s how I describe the book on the back cover:

“Sometimes, the best way to find ourselves is to get lost in the process.  So lost, in fact, that we’re afraid we’ll never find our way back again, especially the direction we’ve only just come from.  It’s when we find ourselves alone and directionless in the quiet moments of our lives, in surroundings we know we don’t belong in and aspire to leave behind, that we can hear ourselves think without the distraction of the status quo calling us back to what had been our everyday reality.

My questioning began very early on in this odyssey on the road, and as this internal dialogue developed I wrote down all of these debates with myself on a yellow, legal pad.  This process of spontaneously writing my 152 philosophical questions and ponderings, laid the foundation for a resolution to the dilemma as to which way I should go with my life, seemingly giving me permission to follow my heart and my dreams…”

Here’s a link to my Amazon Author Page – Mark D. Jones:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1526666933&sr=1-2-ent

I’m currently working my 9th book: Book Nine – A Bicycle Adventure through England, Scotland, Wales in France (Part One), telling the story of my solo overseas bicycle trip to the British Isles and France from May through July 1979, which should be available in June.

Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book: Book Seven – The Seattle Years (Part Two)

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I’ve just published the seventh book in my autobiographical series called In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography) and this is Book Seven – The Seattle Years (Part Two).  This is the story of my life from June 1978 through April 1979 and all the adventures I took part in during this 10 month portion of my life.  This story and a book of philosophy I wrote that follows it, formed the basis of my decision to embark on a solo-bicycle adventure through England, Scotland, Wales and France from May through July 1979 and to maintain my focus on adventure.  Here’s how I describe Book Seven:

“What do you do when life is good and seems to be getting better all the time, but you’re still not happy?  What happens when your life seems to be moving in a completely wrong direction?  What if changing the course of your life requires you to strip away all that you currently are for the possibility of achieving all you could possibly become?  What if remaining true to yourself – to who you are as a person and to your spirit of adventure – requires you to follow your heart into the unknown without a compass or map to guide you into the future?

These were the questions I began asking myself in the winter of 1978-1979, not knowing what my future held or the direction my life should take.  I didn’t know what my meaning and purpose in life was, or why I was even born to live this life in the first place.  All I knew at the time was I was lost and directionless again in life, in what turned out to be my desert place meant to find myself.  This is the story of how I got there and the process I took to begin finding my way out again…”

Here’s a link to my Author Page – Mark D. Jones on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1526666933&sr=1-2-ent

Book Nine – A Book of Philosophy will be out soon – enjoy!

Cheers!

Mark

Publishing Update – Two New Books Coming Soon

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I wanted to keep folks posted as to my upcoming publishing schedule as I have two new books in the pipeline for this month: Book Seven – The Seattle Years (Part Two) and Book Eight – A Book of Philosophy.  Both of these books define the time in my life from June 1978 through May 1979 and set the stage for making the decision to follow my heart and bicycle around England, Scotland, Wales and France from May through July 1979.  The story of my overseas bicycle trip should be published in two parts next month if I keep to my timeline.

In July of this year, I hope to publish the story of visiting Puerto Rico in the summer of 1979 and then turn my attention to the story of my return to Michigan State University and my adventures through British Columbia and Ontario, Canada in 1980.  If I can finish that book by August of this year, then I’ll look into publishing a few photo books of my travels in September and October.

In November of this year, if I keep to my timeline, I hope to publish my motivational book Organizational Aerodynamics about looking at life from new perspectives to accomplish all your hopes and dreams in life.  I hope to begin publishing my novels in 2019, starting with the first book of my adventure trilogy Jonathan’s Dream (An Adventure Novel) and then follow up with all the other novels and children’s stories I have prepared and in the works! 🙂

Here’s the link to my Amazon Author Page – Mark D. Jones.  All of my books are published as Kindle books and paperbacks, and are free to read with Kindle Unlimited:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1526666933&sr=1-2-ent

Stay posted and I’ll keep you updated with how my timeline’s working out – Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book: In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Six – The Seattle Years (Part One) (Volume 6)

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I’ve just published my latest book: In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Six – The Seattle Years (Part One)  This is the latest volume of my serialized autobiography in both Kindle and paperback versions, telling the story of my early adventures in life after stepping off the well-traveled road in life for the path less-traveled by – and never looked back!

After completing an 8,111 mile bicycle adventure around the United States with my friend Bruce in 1976-1977, I found myself alone in Seattle needing to make my own way in this beautiful Emerald City on the shores of Puget Sound.  This is the story of searching for my meaning and purpose in life, and how I eventually was able to embark on a solo-bicycle adventure around England, Scotland, Wales and France in 1979 – enjoy!

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Cheers!

Mark

Coming Soon: Book Six – The Seattle Years (Part One)

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My sixth book, In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Six – The Seattle Years (Part One), is now in the proof stage and should be published by the end of April.  Here’s a preview of what this phase of my life was all about and what I’ve included on the book’s back cover:

About this book:

“I had no idea of how my life would turn out after arriving in Seattle with Bruce following our bicycle adventure in June 1977 and it turned out that life opened up for me in ways I could have never thought possible.  At the same time, after the adventurous initial ten months of mine in Seattle on my own, I couldn’t have foreseen the dramatic changes that would occur in my life and sweep me away in ways I couldn’t even believe at the time.

All of the experiences I was going through during my time in Seattle were subconsciously making me more aware of the need to discover a greater theme of meaning and purpose for my life, for I still had no idea what I was to do in life, why I was born or what my future held.  There had to be something greater than an endless series of adventures, but I really didn’t have a clue at all as to what it was.  At the time, I couldn’t see further into my future than the next moment or two, leaving me no awareness of where I was headed and going in life.  I certainly didn’t see the changes to my life in Seattle that were just over the horizon at this point, or the dramatic events I’d be part of in the upcoming years…”

About the Author – Mark D. Jones:

“One of my purposes in writing my autobiography is to show young people – or anyone searching for answers – that life is a continuous process of self-discovery that’s never ending or at least it shouldn’t be.  As long as you search your heart for the meaning and purpose of your life, it will whisper to you the direction your life should take.  The point of it all is that dreams really can and do come true, but only if you pursue them and work hard to make them happen.  Most everything I’ve ever accomplished in life started out as a dream.  The funny thing about dreams is that they first need to be identified, labeled and made our own, long before the process of fulfilling them can even begin.  No matter how you came by your dreams, your dreams have validity simply because they’re yours and you’ve made the conscious decision to own them.  Do your best, give it your best shot, live your hopes, dreams, passions and desires in life and never give up or give in – for so long as your dreams remain alive, hope remains.  I wish you all the very best in your journeys and adventures through life, and may God bless you and yours at the end of the day with all the happiness of a life well lived!   Cheers!  Mark”

A link to my Author Page on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Currently I’m working on the manuscript for Book Seven, which covers the following ten months of my time in Seattle, prior to my embarking on a solo-bicycle adventure through England, Scotland, Wales and France in the late spring and early summer of 1979.  I hope to publish Book Seven by the end of May ~ enjoy!  Mark

 

My Publishing Timeline: My Autobiography, Organizational Aerodynamics and Jonathan’s Amazing Adventures

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I thought I’d provide you with an update as to the way ahead for my publishing timeline concerning my works in progress.  For the moment, I’ve made most of my WordPress blogs private until the book title of the same name is published.  At that time, I’ll convert the blog to my Author Page for that book in order to provide updates, commentary and answer questions.

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

My future publishing timeline is to continue publishing my autobiography this year, which will take me up to the year 1981 and include my: adventures around the Western United States and the Pacific Northwest; Hot Air Ballooning and an introduction to flying; climbing mountains; numerous cross-continental bus and driving trips; bicycling solo through England, Scotland, Wales and France; SCUBA diving in Puerto Rico with a friend; returning to Michigan State University; a yacht adventure deep into the fjords of British Columbia, Canada; and my solo bicycle adventure through Ontario, Canada.

At that point, my aim is to publish my motivational self-help book titled Organizational Aerodynamics in early 2019, followed by my Jonathan’s Amazing Adventures trilogy of novels: Jonathan’s Dream (An Adventure Novel), Jonathan’s Return (An Adventure Novel) and Jonathan’s Wish (An Adventure Novel).

Once I’ve completed publishing these books, then I’ll turn my attention to publishing my The Adventures of Sam the Tugboat children’s stories: The Adventures of Sam the Tugboat; Sam the Tugboat and the Legend of Shipwreck Island and Sam the Tugboat and the Island Kingdom of Beauty, Dreams and Imagination.

I’ve completed all these books save one in draft and this publishing timeline will keep me busy for a number of years, but I thought I’d let you know what to expect over time.  I have other books in progress as well and eventually I’ll return to continue my autobiography recounting my United States Air Force years as a navigator, but not until I’ve finished publishing all of my works in progress ~ enjoy!

Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book is Now Available: Book Five – The Great Adventure (Part Three)

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I’ve published my latest book, In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Five – The Great Adventure (Part Three), which completes the story of my bicycle adventure of over 8,000 miles around the United States with my friend Bruce in 1976-1977.  Book Five tells the story of our crossing the Western United States from the Texas Gulf Coast to Seattle, WA, in the spring and early summer of 1977.  Book Five is available in the Kindle Store today and will be available as a paperback in a couple of days as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-D.-Jones/e/B078RRS631/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

I’ve now turned my attention to writing Book Six which tells the story of my life in Seattle and my adventures around the Western U.S. in 1977-1978.  Book Six should be available sometime later this month ~ enjoy!

Cheers!

Mark