J. A. McDougall

How was Disneyland?

2007-08-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

I think this picture says it all.

On Being Loved

2007-02-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer McDougall

All of us are better when we’re loved.

The final line of Alistair MacLeod’s novel No Great Mischief (1999).

The offer of open arms
A gentle hand warming our own
Encouraging words
These gestures of caring
When are they love?
When are they pity?

Object of admiration
Source of pride
Centrepiece of amusement
Are we loved
or are we simply desired?

Love confounds us.
Often confused
with passion and enthusiasm
with support and protection
with appreciation and loyalty.
Its source fleeting.

Love is craved by all,
yet it cannot
be created,
or be purchased,
or demanded.

We show kindness and respect
behave deservingly
declare our love for others
hope it will come back to us
but in the end
we have little to do with it;
love is a reaction
inspired purely by our presence.

Love percolates
over time
within another person’s soul,
to which we have no access.

To witness this unique sensation,
we wait patiently,
pay keen attention
to barely visible indicators.

When we glimpse it
(perhaps tipped off by our need for it, but more often not)
love appears
a bended elbow,
a sigh of gratitude,
a fascinated gaze.

The signs and sounds
of love
greet us long before
the words
I love you
are spoken.

We recognize love
immediately
without confirmation
we know love because
it is a message of joy
sent directly from the soul.

Love slips back into hiding
as work and play return to centre stage,
life goes on,
but this emotion remains

beneath the surface. A foundation

strengthening

every interaction we share with that person.

To be loved is to be left
brimming with contentment
and peace,
so that we may inspire goodness in others.
And then, we too
are better again.

Shopping Time of Year

2006-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Global TV interview

Order from Amazon

Writers wishing to submit their own story to a future chicken soup book should visit Chicken Soup online.

Press Release: Chicken Soup

2006-12-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

For Immediate Release

Media kits and review copies available upon request.

CONTACT: Thersa Peluso, 954-418-0844 or just hit reply and provide us with your best street address.

Local Author Featured in New Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul

Jennifer A. McDougall of Calgary AB wrote an original short story that has been published in the newly released Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul – Celebrating Bargains, Boutiques & The Perfect Pair of Shoes, the latest book in the NY Times best selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Story Title: Requisite Shopping

Summary: A daunting excursion to secure a bathing suit for her dream vacation turns into a positive experience for this middle-aged mother of four.

This wonderful story was selected from thousands of other potential stories to be included in Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul because of its special ability to entertain, inspire and validate others who never cease to find fulfillment, enjoyment, adventure and a few great buys while doing it.

You know it when you find it: the perfect black dress, the welcome mat for your first home, the yellow bunny sheets for your best friend’s baby shower, the laundry basket your nephew will never use in college. Whatever the mission, shopping for yourself and others marks life’s milestones, celebrates your passions and expresses your individuality. And most importantly, shopping is just plain fun.

Here is a remarkable compilation of true-life shopping adventures from like-minded people like you – people who freely admit they were Born to Shop.

Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul is the ultimate celebration of the ultimate pastime. Let the bargains begin!

An Evening at the Owl's Nest

2006-11-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

By J.A. McDougall

Thanks for being my audience!
Tracy, Stacy, Amber and Heather
Karen, Chris, Rebecca and Ryan
fellow Zoer Heather Eigler
Mom and Dad
Judy, Harry, and Michelle
Paulette
and sweet Robyn

In Bookstores Now

2006-10-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

At 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 25,
Owl’s Nest Books (located at Britannia Shopping Centre) will host the Calgary launch of A Cup of Comfort for Mothers to Be: Stories That Celebrate a Very Special Time, edited by Colleen Sell (Adams Media, Trade Paper Original; October 2006).

I will be reading Our Journey Back, my contribution to this lovely collection “designed to alleviate anxiety and give voice to expectant mothers everywhere. It is a celebration of the very extraordinary time in a woman’s life—the nine months that make her into a mother. From morning sickness to the first kicks, ordinary pregnant women tell their poignant stories in this new addition to the beloved Cup of Comfort series. These touching accounts of the most exciting months of a new mother’s life are sure to warm the hearts of all readers.”

List of visits to local Chapters and Indigo stores.

Writers interested in submitting their stories for future books should visit Cup of Comfort.

Cup of Comfort Book Signings

2006-03-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 4
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Indigo Books, Music and More
South Centre Mall

Sunday, November 5
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Chapters Macleod Trail
Macleod Trail South

Sunday, November 19th
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Chapters Dalhousie
5505 Dalhousie Drive NW

Friday, November 24
5:00 – 7:00 pm
Chapters Spectrum
#500, 2555 - 32nd Street NE

Saturday, November 25
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Chapters Shawnessy
#212 – 16061 Macleod Trail