Author Archives: Sj

Green Pueo's 5 star review

“Molly becomes a representation of the enlightenment available to anyone, at any moment.”

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OMG, Green Pueo,

That Molly’s story speaks to you so . . . warms the cockles of my heart. <3

Godspeed on YOUR journey, Green Pueo!

May you SPREAD YOUR WINGS WIDE and SOAR to HEIGHTS BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!

✫Sj✫

* A Pueo is “a subspecies of the short-eared owl that is endemic to Hawaii.

5 star review by Green Pueo on Amazon

“This book came to me when I needed it most. It is a romp through Molly’s pastures as she travels along the road to self-discovery. It is less than a novel and more of a journey, a pilgrimage diary whereby a donkey attempts to determine how he feels about issues of personal priority. Rather than following the opinions of a delightful set of brilliantly written animal characters, Molly listens to echoes of her own inner ear signaling to the reader that we each have that power as well unless we choose to surrender it.

This is a world where animals can speak and make us feel that we have entered a safe space where their actions and decisions impact us in new and surprising ways. We read books to escape our fears and the darkness of everyday life, and this book is a positive way to discover that we each have an inner message we are obligated to share with others.

Not sure if this book is autobiographical, but Molly doesn’t surrender to peer pressure or the ordinary life.

The story is a timeless refreshing breath of simplicity and creativity. I enjoyed the short chapters and fun illustrations.

The imagery the author creates reads like an old mythic tale. The playful dialogue told with simple descriptive prose helped me to picture Molly’s world as being hand drawn. Like the step-by-step lines of the pencil, the “Aha” moment comes only after watching a foundation of underlay develop on the author’s canvas. Molly becomes a representation of the enlightenment available to anyone, at any moment.

Molly speaks for us all, lets us know we are each on a different path and when she speaks, it doesn’t sound exactly like a donkey or a horse. Instead, a mule makes a sound that is similar to a donkey’s but also has the characteristics of a horse, starting with a whinny, and ending with a hee-haw! Therefore at the moment of refusal, disappointment, or when we are faced with self-evaluation, one is capable of ‘waking up’ as an individual and seeing the interconnectedness of everything. Molly not only “whinnys” with lightheartedness but also punctuates her message with Hee Haws in the short chapters of this book. Readers of all ages will most likely discover within ‘My Life as a Mule’ that her voice resonates in much deeper ways.”

MAHALO for sharing Molly’s story with friends!

xoxox Sj xoxox

My Life as a Mule is available through Amazon.

Molly's Epiphany Tea

Molly’s Epiphany Tea

Sj Day 3 of 50 day challenge

50 Day Celebration Challenge

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A friend invited me to a closed group on fb

To CELEBRATE and give thanks for something in our life (in the form of a short video).

For 50 days.

At first I said, “No.” I felt that it would be a distraction.

But then I thought, “Why not?”

And after starting this (today is currently day 3), I realized that I wanted to post it on my YouTube channel.So…if you want to follow me, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel Sj LeHoven.

Along the way, I’d LOVE to here what YOU have to CELEBRATE about YOUR life. What are YOU grateful for?

I love each and every one of you. Sending a hug and ALL my love.

✫Sj✫

Now available on Kindle.

Kindle version of “My Life as a Mule” now available

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Read “My Life as a Mule” on your phone or tablet.

For only $7.77 you can now get your own Kindle version of My Life as a Mule.

And…the MatchBook price is only $1.99.

What’s MatchBook? A program through Amazon.

Kindle MatchBook:

“For thousands of qualifying books, your past, present, and future print-edition purchases now lets you buy the Kindle edition for $2.99 or less. (Textbooks available for $9.99 or less.)

  • Thousands of books are eligible, including current and former best sellers.
  • Look for the Kindle MatchBook icon on print and Kindle book detail pages of qualifying books. You can also see more Kindle MatchBook titles here or look up all of your Kindle MatchBook titles here.
  • Read the Kindle edition on any Kindle device or with a free Kindle Reading App.
  • Print edition must be purchased new and sold by Amazon.com.
  • Gifting of the Kindle edition at the Kindle MatchBook price is not availabl

Learn more about Kindle MatchBook.”

Mahalo for supporting Molly and her friends!

xoxoxoxo

Simply Molly

Simply Molly

Kris Kringle and friends

It’s that time again!

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To put on your comfy pjs and listen to

The Night Before Christmas (as read by Sj Daisy)

Wishing you ALL a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

3 Gal Pals EACH Publish a Book in 2018!!!

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And each book is about LOVE!  <3 <3 <3

1. Experience Molly the Mule’s coming of age  (and the realization of the LOVE that she is) in Sj’s book My Life as a Mule

Available at Amazon

“In a five star review on Amazon, Claire Morris-Dobie posted, “It’s tough to pin down Sj’s Mule to a specific audience. I loved it and so did our 9 year old grandson. It’s entertaining and educational on so many levels and for ages eight to 80.

On the surface, it seems like such a straightforward story with adorable talking animals but there is so much more to it. I now see it as a coming of age allegory with family members and everyday joys and mishaps that we can all relate to…There were plenty of times during the read that I had to stop and think about the deeper meaning of a passage.

Sj tells her story using animals just as Orwell did in Animal Farm but thankfully, there are revelations rather than revolutions, and compassion conquers tyranny…This is a sweet and sad, and often laugh out loud read and somewhere in the middle, I forgot all the characters were animals.”

Claire Morris-Dobie, author of Dear God, Got a Minute? and Slam: A New Way to Tell the Truth

2. Join friends, family, and strangers at the table where mostly LOVE is consumed in Timi O’Malley‘s book Consuming Love: The Joy of Sharing Meals.

Available at Amazon.

Author Timi O’Malley

“These wonderful stories take us around the world in Timi O’Malley’s unifying voice of love. The spiritual lessons are rich and gratifying.”

Miranda Macpherson,
author of “The Way of Grace: The Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation” (Sounds True 2018

3. Learn tools to better navigate the loss of a LOVED one (and help make the process more peaceful) in Anne Vlahos’ book, To Die For: The Gifts of Being Present Through Loss and Grief

Available at Amazon

Author Anne Vlahos

“Anne candidly shares not only her pain and anxiety, but her journey to weave together beliefs, spiritual encounters and hope as she faced the deaths of her parents.”

Dr. Heidi Horsely,
Internationally Known Grief Expert, Co-host of the Award-Winning TV and radio show, Open to Hope

 

Three friends. Three unique voices.

ALL sharing the LOVE that they are.

BFFs: Molly & Harriet

Just in time for the Holidays!

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Molly and her many friends look forward to meeting you and sharing your (or your friends’) personal space!

You can now bring Molly’s LOVE into your home by ordering PRINTS of Jocelyne’s most magnificent drawings (feathered in the funny, light, AND deep book, My Life as a Mule).

The unframed prints are available in two sizes: 5×7″ or 8×10“.

There’s even an author’s set if you’re having trouble deciding which ones to pick!

Click HERE and you’ll be taken directly to the the digital store.Mahalo for supporting Molly and her friends. They’re sooooo looking forward to being a part of YOUR life!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

✫Sj✫

Easter Bonnet Molly

Easter Bonnet Molly

Pedrata kicking back at Milolii

Epiphanies

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A friend of mine recently told me that she especially enjoys reading about my epiphanies.

Hmmm, epiphanies.

What are they?

For me, they’re those moments

when in a blink of an eye,

your life changes.

For in that split second

you suddenly just KNOW something that you didn’t before.

And in the knowing, you wonder,

How could I not have known?

Because you couldn’t.

Up until that moment,

you simply could not.

Give us an example, Sj! I hear you say.

Okay, I shall.

In the past month, I was driving my van Pegasus (aka Pegi) when ALL OF A SUDDEN I just KNEW that I could ENJOY the moment. THAT moment. Relax INTO it. BE in that moment.

I didn’t need to wait until my work was finished. Or until I’d paid all my bills. Or even until I’d written another book. But in THAT moment, while driving my van along some country road, I could simply relax. Be.

No matter what was going on.

Around me.

Within me.

In any moment, I can simply BE.

Even in the midst of tragedy, Sj?

Yes, even in the midst of tragedy.

In times of despair?

Yes, even in times of despair.

For every moment is a gift.

Each breath is

an act of grace.

And for that, I am extremely thankful.

My Life as a Mule four 5 Star reviews

National Mule Day – October 26th

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National Mule Day is on October 26th.

And what better way to celebrate than to purchase your own copy of My Life as a Mule  (click on the title or HERE to go directly to Amazon).

Not sure if it’s a good fit for you? Read Claire’s review below to get an idea of what’s in store when you meet Molly up close and personal.

I’ve just finished reading Sj Hylton LeHoven’s My Life As A Mule for the second time. It is superb. On the surface, it seems like such a straightforward story with adorable talking animals but there is so much more to it. I now see it as a coming of age allegory with family members and everyday joys and mishaps that we can all relate to. Back in my day, we would call it “deep.” There were plenty of times during the read that I had to stop and think about the deeper meaning of a passage.

Sj tells her story using animals just as Orwell did in Animal Farm but thankfully, there are revelations rather than revolutions, and compassion conquers tyranny. Molly the Mule’s teenage awakenings are not nearly as ominous as pigs on two legs. This is a sweet and sad, and often laugh out loud read and somewhere in the middle, I forgot all the characters were animals.

It’s tough to pin down with regard to “the” audience. I loved it but so did our 9 year old grandson. It’s entertaining and educational on a number of levels and for ages eight to 80. The book is beautifully illustrated by a very talented Jocelyne Shiner and you can even buy prints of her work. A delightful five stars all around.

Mahalo nui loa! xoxoxoxoxox

✫Sj✫

A Baptism

A Baptism

Pedrata at the Grand Canyon tower

Sj from the Heart: How to Trust

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Lots of people have been asking me…

“Sj, how can you trust so much?”

So, I put a camera in front of my face and spoke from my heart.

And…off the top of my head.

To You from Me with ALL of my love.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Animal family at cottage

We Always Have What We Really Need

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For real.

Even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Sj speaks from her heart on the topic.