Another joyous day because on April 20 I have released a paperback edition of my novel January River on Amazon! This heartwarming cross-genre story, a fine mix of literary fiction, coming-of-age, mystery, and romance, about five friends, one dog and one river carrying a secret is available as paperback on Amazon for only $10.99. Animal and dog lovers, don't skip it because this is a story for you too! When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Then he loses his dog, his only consolation. Hoping to start anew, Ethan leaves Greenfield and moves to New York City. Far from the ghosts of his childhood and the river that gives and takes life. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author. But how long will Ethan's happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price? All rivers carry their secrets, but not every river keeps its secret forever. Please don't forget to leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads and recommend it by word of mouth. Thanks! BJ Source: https://www.bernardjan.com/post/january-river-paperback

It's been a long road, but I published my eBook January River on Amazon! It is a heartwarming cross-genre story about five friends, one dog and one river carrying a secret. If you like literary fiction, coming-of-age, mystery, or romance novels, you will find in it something for you. And if you love dogs, this is a book for you! When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Then he loses his dog, his only consolation. Hoping to start anew, Ethan leaves Greenfield and moves to New York City. Far from the ghosts of his childhood and the river that gives and takes life. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author. But how long will Ethan's happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price? January River is enrolled in KDP Select, where you can read it for free, and through most of April it will be at the discounted price of $0.99. A perfect time to download your eBook! Please don't forget to leave an honest review and recommend it by word of mouth. Thanks! Once again thank you all who helped me bring this book to life. BJ Original post: https://www.bernardjan.com/post/january-river-ebook-on-amazon

It seems that 2020 didn't start so bad for my novella Look for Me Under the Rainbow because it was nominated for TopShelf Book Awards 2020! I was lucky that someone from either agencies, publicists, publishers, TopShelf scouts, or Insider members has recognized my book for that special honor. Thank you, whoever you are! And thank you, TopShelf Magazine, for picking my book from the crowd and giving it this opportunity. I will know if I am one of the TopShelf Book Award finalists by the end of September 2020, and the winners will be announced in the Holiday Edition of TopShelf Magazine in December 2020. BJ Source: https://www.bernardjan.com/post/topshelf-book-awards-nominee

To all my friends, followers, readers, and reviewers. To all of you who got in touch with me in this year and to all of you who will read this. I wish you all the best for the holidays and many days after. I wish you to spend them with the people you love and who give you their unconditional love; surrounded with warmth, happiness, kindness and with no worry on your mind. Whether you spend them with your family, friends or alone, let them be full of all good things that make this life worth living. I don't have big plans for the end of this year. I will work on my book, read books from my huge reading list, spend time at home with my parents and my online friends. I like to keep it quiet, cozy and relaxing, doing things I like best, because books are my addiction. This passion keeps burning inside me no matter what time of day or year. My other passion is spreading kindness and compassion to and for those in need, especially animals. Even in times of celebration and holidays I will keep thinking on them, wishing I can do more for them to ease their misery and suffering. There are days when being a vegan doesn't seem enough, when I feel I can do and should do more like jump in the catastrophic fires that are devastating Australia and be a protective shield between devouring flames and animals and people losing their lives and homes there. And it's not only Down Under. It's like that all over our beautiful planet! Do you sometimes feel the same? Do you feel bad, frustrated and angry seeing our planet going from bad to worse as it spins madly toward the cataclysm, and those in power to make a change do nothing or ignore it? They have the power, yes, but they are not the only ones. We have the power too, you and me. If we do something on our small personal level, things will move forward. And if others join us, we can do bigger, greater things. We can change the world, I firmly believe that. So, why not start now, during these holidays? Why not end this year and begin a new year with small acts of kindness? It's actually very simple. Having a plant-based Christmas dinner or New Year's party can mean a lot to animals who suffer, and it won't cost us anything. It will open our windows to the world of new flavors and smells, the best ones being kindness, compassion, and empathy. Those are the flavors I enjoy for 18 years already and they feel so good. The best things I've ever tasted! You'd give me a great joy if you tried them too and let me know how you liked them. One thing is certain: they get better with time because the more we taste them the more we heal our planet. It's the best natural cure our Earth can get from us. And, to be honest, it needs it! Thank you for spreading love and kindness, thank you for having a big and compassionate heart. Thanks for all good things you will do for others in the last moments of this year and for good things you will continue doing in 2020. Hopefully, it brings us all many memorable and pleasant moments, happiness, good health, and great books. Much love and my very best wishes! BJ Source: https://www.bernardjan.com/single-post/2019/12/20/My-Very-Best-Wishes-with-Hopes-for-a-Happier-World

For the last time in 2019 my eBook Look for Me Under the Rainbow is at a 67% discount price! Sunday, December 15, 2019, 8:00 AM PST through Sunday, December 22, 2019, 12:00 AM PST If you still don't know what to give as a gift to your beloved ones, this could be a nice opportunity and addition to their library. Make the best use of my Kindle promo week and get the story of a harp seal Danny at a favorable price! Thank you for spreading the word and telling others about it. Even more, thank you for leaving an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads. Don't forget: my other book A World Without Color is at a permanent price of $0.99! “A book filled with heart and love for all living things, I found the book touching and inspirational! The author's sincere character is embedded into each & every word! I highly recommend this book and give it five stars!”—S. Richard, author of Man at 50: A Journey of Crisis, Revelation and Survival! An excerpt from Look for Me Under the Rainbow: One day everything changed. Danny got a brother. Overwhelmed with joy, he completely forgot about the fear he felt when his mother left him alone a little longer than usual. He had begun to think something happened to her. Like maybe the sea current dragged her to the open sea where a killer whale swallowed her up . . . or a shark tore her apart . . . or she got caught in the ice . . . or she met a man. . . . But when he saw her coming with a tiny pup in tow, just opening its eyes, his fears and foreboding dispelled. Danny received Jon with such sincere affection and love, his mother almost burst into tears from happiness and pride. Jon's mother died in labor leaving him alone. And he barely survived. Even Danny's father, in their vicinity at that moment, was slightly bemused by this extraordinary show of affection. But as soon as Danny—feeling his gaze—turned to look at him, his father averted his eyes and disappeared behind a huge chunk of ice. Now she had not one, but two pups to worry about. Danny refused to be weaned and now Jon suckled as if he had not tasted food in his entire life. Still, Danny's mother knew she did the right thing. Her malcontent and mischievous little pup Danny whom she could not let out of sight even for a second, now changed beyond recognition. Not only did he stop pestering her with his interminable questions, he almost stopped his excursions to the sea. His attention focused on Jon, he treated his adopted brother with warmth and kindness. She thought that was amazing. If she weren't a mother who loved Danny more than anything in the world, she might have thought his love for Jon stronger than her own. But that was impossible. She loved Danny as much as it was possible to love anybody. BJ Source: https://bit.ly/2ElM0v2