Tag Archives: The Early Years (The Start of a Dream)

Thoughtful Words About My Books

Posted on by under 0001. Announcements, In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography), The Great Adventure

My books are all about journeys, dreams and adventures, and of wishing for something more out of life and then living and fulfilling those dreams.  Everything I’ve written stems from my youthful dreams of adventure, and in publishing my books I’m completing those dreams and taking them full circle.  I include everything I’ve learned along the way in my autobiographical books, children’s stories, adventure novels and self-help motivational books, so that you, too, can live your own hopes and dreams one day.  All-in-all, my books amount to the course I was never able to take in school, entitled: Adventure 101

I wanted to share a few thoughtful words written to me about my books by a dear family friend, who has known me since I was a young child.  She’s sent me two different notes about my books and I’ve included a few excerpts below:

“…I have enjoyed them immensely.  I have read books one through five.  I still have the novel and poetry books to read.  Please hurry and print more…!”

“…So many times in reading your books, I felt as though I was right there with you.  What a fantastic experience!  What a life experience!  Thank you for bringing it to the world.”

My hope is in sharing my journeys, dreams and adventures with you through my books, that you will also be able to live your own hopes and dreams one day!

Amazon 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&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

Book Five – The Great Adventure (Part Three)

Posted on by under In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography), The Great Adventure

Book Five is the third book of the trilogy about The Great Adventure entitled In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Five – The Great Adventure (Part Three).  Here’s the book description:

“Bruce and I traveled 1,931 miles on the first leg of our bicycle adventure from the Flint, MI, area to Tallahassee, FL.  The second leg of our journey covered 2,594 miles and took us from Tallahassee to Key West, FL, and back, before following the Gulf Coast to Houston and down to Rockport, TX, where we were given jobs through the kindness and generosity of others.  The question before us was what would the third leg of our adventure be like?  Part Three of The Great Adventure would essentially be the second half of our journey, both literally and figuratively.

In many ways, the Western portion of our journey would be a completely different experience for us than the first two legs of our trip had been.  The fundamental question before us though, was how would we survive the endeavor?  We’d find out the answer soon enough, as we set out to traverse the vast distances across the West and hopefully make it to Seattle to prepare for what would be the rest of our lives…

I realized that I was compiling a record of what was a unique opportunity to live an adventurous life and take the path less-traveled by, and wanted to make sure I at least kept a record of everything I accomplished for the sake of my own memories.  It wasn’t until I began writing my autobiography in the early days of 1994, that I was able to connect the dots to clearly see the path in life my adventures had led me down.

It was at that point when I understood that telling my story was something that might be able to help others find their way in life, too, because it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees when you’re in the middle of it.  Once you realize that others have struggled along their paths in life as well, you realize it’s all part of the journey, because it’s impossible to have complete clarity when immersed in life’s adventures – but keep moving forward one step at a time – for movement creates opportunity and opportunity opens doors, and just a foot in the door can lead to the rest of your life!  Cheers!  Mark”

Kindle Link – open post to view it (Free on Kindle Unlimited):

Paperback Link (6)” x 9″:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1090342861/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p4_i4

Amazon 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&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

Book Four – The Great Adventure (Part Two)

Posted on by under In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography)

This is the second book of the trilogy about The Great Adventure I call, In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Four – The Great Adventure (Part Two).  Here’s the description:

“Bruce and I completed the first leg of The Great Adventure, traveling 1,931 miles from southwest of Flint, MI, to my aunt and uncle’s house in Tallahassee, FL, over the course of 58 days on our bicycle adventure. We departed the Flint area on September 22, 1976 and arrived in Tallahassee on November 18th – low on funds and needing to recuperate at our third oasis on the bicycle trip to date.

The question remained though as to what would happen to us on this second leg of the adventure? We were almost out of money and had no idea what to expect in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, and soon our thoughts would begin focusing on looking for jobs – without having any concept of how that would work out or how we could make it happen. Would our adventure succeed or fail miserably, leaving us stranded on the road out of money and ideas? As they say, no guts no glory, and here begins the story of the second leg of The Great Adventure…

The opportunity to journey and adventure kindles the human spirit like nothing else can. For to immerse oneself in adventure and test your meddle beyond your known capabilities and prevail despite the odds, is to conquer and overcome your fears, and find within yourself the strength, reserves and will to endure and survive in the most difficult of circumstances. I wish you all the very best on your adventures in life, no matter where life’s path takes you on your journey of discovery.

Adventure is a mindset and a perspective, for one can find adventure in whatever endeavor you choose to participate in – it doesn’t have to be a physical challenge taking you to the ends of the Earth. ‘To adventure’ is to take life by the horns and try your very best, to blaze your own trail, and live your hopes, dreams and passions in life. Choose adventure, because life is so much richer and rewarding for having tried to live the life of your dreams no matter the outcome – win, lose or draw!  Cheers!  Mark”

Kindle Link (open post to see the link) – Free on Kindle Unlimited:

Paperback Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Search-Meaning-Life-Autobiography-Adventure/dp/1798503298/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Mark+D.+Jones&qid=1552669216&s=books&sr=1-3

Amazon Author Link: 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&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

Cheers!

Mark

 

Book One (Second Edition) – The Early Years (The Start of a Dream)

Posted on by under 05. Book One - The Early Years (The Start of a Dream), In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography)

I’ve just published the Second Edition of the first book of my serialized autobiography entitled ‘In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book One – The Early Years (The Start of a Dream),’ beginning the story of how I first decided to leave the road well-traveled for the one less-traveled by and never looked back…

Kindle Version (Free with Kindle Unlimited) – open post to see link:

Paperback Version:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/179653840X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i30

Cheers!

Mark

My Latest Book – Adventures Near and Far

Posted on by under In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography)

I’ve just published my latest book and 20th book overall – In Search of the Meaning of Life (An Autobiography): Book Twelve – Adventures Near and Far

This is the twelfth book of my serialized autobiography and completes the story of my Early Years.  In it, I return to Michigan State University to complete my degree, learn to study, rediscover the piano and my desire to be a songwriter, take a short bicycle adventure through Ontario, Canada, and participate in a yacht adventure from Everett, WA, to Chatterbox Falls, deep in the fjords of British Columbia, Canada.  Here’s the book description:

“I’ve often found my life being guided by moments of great insight or ‘eureka moments,’ as I accidentally discovered the next direction my life should take while stranded at various mileposts and chapters during the course of my life.  It seems these momentary glimpses into the future tended to occur more often than not when I was floundering and failing in life, not knowing what I was to do or where I was to go.  So it was when I knew in my heart it was time to return to Michigan State University while watching the Michigan-Michigan State football game in the fall of 1979 on Bainbridge Island across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle.

I knew in an instant I was to go back to school and arranged the details of my return in minutes, not days or weeks, to redirect the course of my life.  Yet, I had no clue as to what this new journey and adventure I was starting out would mean to me and my future, or even what that future would hold.  All I knew at the time was the timing was right to return to MSU, as my life was stagnating in Washington State with no real end game in sight.  So it was as I boarded that Greyhound Bus – was I making the right decision?  Would college work out for me this time around?  Would I find my way into a career I wanted to have after graduation?  Would I even graduate?  I had no idea at the time, just a gut reaction that this was the right thing to do.  In the end that’s all that mattered, as I knew adventurers needed to know how to make decisions and stick with them.  I’d made mine and now it was time to make the best of it…

My life was filled with the excitement of the open road and traveling to parts unknown, while working various jobs to fund my adventures and experiencing opportunities I’d never dreamed of before, yet I began to wonder if that was all there was to life for me.  At the end of the day I still didn’t have a purpose or a plan, and life couldn’t continue carrying on that way in a never ending series of road trips and hardships.  I needed more out of life than just hitting the highway on yet another adventure.  I still didn’t know the meaning and purpose of my life, but came to understand it couldn’t just be adventure for adventure’s sake.

This is where I found myself leading up to the beginning of Book Twelve of my autobiography, deciding at the time to return to Michigan State University to finish college and get my degree in business.  I still didn’t know what I’d do with my business degree, but felt it would at least funnel me into something where I could start living my life as an adult and not as a perpetual dreamer seeking my next adrenaline rush from adventure.  Little did I know at the time I’d remain a dreamer my entire life, yet I found a way to not only live a life of purpose, meaning and responsibility, but also to continue living an adventurous life on an entirely new level I couldn’t have imagined.”

Kindle Link:

Paperback Link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1794189769/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i9

Cheers!

Mark

My Book – Book One – The Early Years (The Start of a Dream)

Posted on by under 0001. Announcements, 05. Book One - The Early Years (The Start of a Dream)

Here’s an excerpt from the first book (of ten volumes to date) of my serialized autobiography: In Search of the Meaning of Life: Book One – The Early Years (The Start of a Dream)

“My journeys and adventures officially started the day I intentionally stepped off the well-worn path of life and onto the path less-traveled.  It was a deliberate and calculated decision and my life has never been the same since.  It has not been an easy life, for once the comfort of the path well-traveled is left behind, there are few signposts to follow and no maps to guide you.  Uncharted territory as they say and not without its pitfalls, danger and misfortunes.  I often wondered if this path would ever lead me back to the safety and comfort of the familiar again.  In some ways it has and in other ways it hasn’t, but The Great Adventure I began in 1976 has never really ended for me over all these many years.  I will be traveling this path less-traveled in my continuing search for the meaning of my life right up to the very end.”

Here’s the link to both the Kindle Version (free to read on Kindle Unlimited) and Paperback Version (76 pages single spaced, 6″x9″ format) – view this post online to see the link:

Here’s the link to my Amazon 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