Jaelynn Topper: 11 books

Amber's search for a book of uplifting quotes and sayings began at the oldest bookstore in town. Joe Stephenson, owner, used to write, but his son's death left a chunk of ice in his soul that blocked the words from escaping. Then he made a rare discovery among the bargain books that reawakened his creativity.

Renovations are rarely simple, especially when the house is over one-hundred years old. Built in the late 1800s, years of neglect left the two-story home a disaster. Strands of ivy clung to the bricks and wove their way across window ledges. Rhododendron grew wild, untrimmed for over a decade. But...

Making people happy at Christmas was Santa’s job. He delivered presents, leaving the perfect gift under the tree, no matter the person’s age. People smiled when they talked about him. He was magical. He made people happy. But what happened when Santa wasn’t happy and struggled to complete his...

No one wants to spend time in the hospital. Sick people go there, Jodi reasoned. After a few days as a patient, she still couldn’t figure out why she was there. Of course, her memory wasn’t working right, either. Her answers didn’t seem to match the questions the staff asked. Jodi couldn’t...

Harvey thought his job with the FBI—with weeks and months spent away from home—was the reason his son left. In fact, years passed without any communication between them. The elderly man shared his regrets over the situation with Melanie. They were friends, neighbors. She enjoyed the man’s company....

The year was 2006. Stressful events made fighting the mental illness demons even more difficult than usual. Words of anger and fear replaced those of love and kindness. Days ran together, bypassing the nights . . . and sleep. Without any knowledge of how to write poetry, the lines fell into a pattern.The...

One entry of an old journal was all it took to convince Kelli Flanders she wanted to read more. The romantic passage intrigued her even though she had never met the woman who wrote the words. Kelli didn't doubt the late Carrie Kingsley had been in love. However, had the unnamed soldier existed or had he been a part of the woman's imagination?

A Dose of Life, part two, includes words of friendship. People often become special to us by sharing moments in time. Even though some of the people move on, the memories are with us forever. Years may pass by before we understand the value a friend added to our life.Written over the last ten years, A Dose of Life, part two, is from the heart.

Zara didn't remember much anymore. At fifty-seven, she was in the later stages of dementia. Her sister did her best at caring for the middle-aged woman but couldn't keep up with Zara's growing needs. On good days, she recognized her home and her sister. However, most days she didn't...

Amanda Lucas wasn’t a typical five-year old. Instead of preparing for kindergarten, she was at the end of her fight with cancer. Determined to find a four-leaf clover, she searched through the grass. What she found was a tiny yellow flower that reminded the child of the sunshine. Amanda chose to present her find to her grandmother—after turning the tiny weed into a bookmark.

She hadn’t known about the trip until he whisked her away. The cabin, with walls of windows, had stunning views. Mountains rose behind a small lake as if protecting the water from outsiders. She appreciated the privacy and anticipated their first swim. After he showed her the view of the dock, she...