A day behind the scenes with Jacqueline von Zwehl, author of 'The Prayer (A Love Story)'

I begin my day by slowly walking out onto the deck of my ocean front home to watch the sun rise every morning while my nanny gets the kids ready for school. My housekeeper dutifully prepares for me my fresh baked goods, French percolated coffee and perfectly folded paper to enjoy for a quiet hour. After a serene morning of enjoying the sun, ocean, and my breakfast I look forward to my morning yoga class at the nearby spa.

The alarm clock goes off and I wake up from this glorious dream and real life takes over. One insane hour of getting the kids ready, brushing their hair, letting the dog out, making breakfast, preparing lunch, signing their school forms, feeding the dog, icing an imaginary boo boo, begging my kids for the fiftieth time to please eat breakfast and then being that parent who always happens to drop them off at school right after the bell rings. I look at their teacher with the pleading "I'm sorry" look in my eyes and wondering why on earth I can't ever seem to get these kids to school on time.

I'm looking like a mess in my gym shorts and t-shirt while all the other moms look so polished and perfect. They're ready to go to their office jobs and of course I'm a writer so I have no incentive to add "getting dressed up" to my morning routine. I wonder what the other moms must think of me. My musings don't take too long because I'm now an hour late getting my latest column to my editor and I'm thinking of all kinds of excuses to give her this time. She knows me too well. I simply promise "I'll make my deadline next week."

Now the work day begins. Preparing for clients, social media updates, writing, editing, responding to readers, scheduling PR, meetings with industry people, budget, marketing, preparing for travel, and the list goes on and on. Who knew working for myself would be the hardest job I'd ever have?

At 4:45pm sharp my "work" day is temporarily put on hold and it's now time to pick the kids up from after care. The next four hours include homework, dinner, bath time, story time, bed time, and the normal one hour of pure begging time to please convince my kids to finally go to sleep. Yes, I do believe I have discovered the secret to life, but I'm still woefully unaware and ignorant of the secret to getting a four and two year old to sleep.

Then every night there is this magical moment when the kids are sleeping, the dishes done, last load of laundry washed and folded, all mandatory work items finished and I can just relax. No, I'm just kidding, that has never happened. Perhaps I fell asleep and I'm dreaming again.

The Prayer, a Love Story
by Jacqueline von Zwehl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Do you Believe in Miracles?

Do you Believe in Eternal Love?

Do you Believe in Answered Prayers?

YOU WILL

The Prayer, A Love Story is the inspirational true story of one woman who discovers the secret to living a life filled with miracles, unconditional love and answered prayers.

The journey begins with a divine promise, continues with unforeseen life challenges, and eventually leads to Jerusalem. Inside the Old City, a prayer will unlock the key to a life of miracles. This journey is proof heaven is real and its gifts are available to you now. Whether you have stopped believing in God or not, God believes in you.

The journey holds a promise for everyone. No matter how much darkness exists in your life, it cannot diminish the flicker of even the tiniest light. That light will lead you to your destiny and it will change your life forever.

Read an excerpt:

Wedding Day

I often wonder about the idea of a miracle. Is it something you feel? Can you see it? Or is it some- thing you just know? Miracle is a very big word, perhaps best saved for big events like the birth of a baby or the first man walking on the moon.

As I ponder this thought, I’m surrounded by lovely, fresh-cut flowers. Isn’t the blossoming of these flowers a miracle? A tiny little seed in the ground, nurtured with rich soil, water, and light, grows to reveal its unique beauty. When we look at the seed, we can’t see the miracle. It’s only later, after its potential has been manifested, we realize what that seed carried all along. Isn’t that how we all are? On the journey of our destiny in this life, all of us start as seeds. Some of us are still in the ground, waiting to grow. Some of us have sprouted a few leaves, and some of us have fully blossomed. Is the miracle the blossoming of the flower, or is the miracle knowing with certainty that everything is already in the seed? Yes, for me it always comes down to certainty. When all I can see is a seed in the ground, the miracle is certainty in my knowl- edge of what the seed is destined to become.

These were the thoughts I recorded in my journal on the morning of our wedding. I have heard that most brides wake up jittery and full of excitement, perhaps thinking about their hair and make-up, the excitement of the day ahead, and how the weather will hold up. I woke up and started writing.

‘What is a miracle? Today I will get married. I will marry the man who makes my heart sing and who was sent as the answer to my prayer. A man who calls me his miracle. Today is our seed, the first day of our journey as husband and wife.We don’t know how our seed will grow. We don’t know how many leaves will bloom or what its flower will look like. We don’t know what storms we’ll face. We do know with certainty that this seed is our destiny. It is our miracle.’

We were all ready. The driver took my hand and escorted me to my seat in the limo.

Available on Amazon

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jacqueline von Zwehl, is a faith based relationship expert. She holds a BFA from New York University and a MBA from Pennsylvania State University. Jacqueline travels the country as a motivational speaker encouraging singles on the path to finding their soul mates. She has appeared on Nite Line, The Harvest Show, EWTN, TCT TV, Victory TV, CatholicTV, Telecare, Changing Lives, CatholicLife, That's the Spirit, The Church, The Cardinal and You, NPR, and more. Jacqueline lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband Christopher, their two daughters and dog. The Prayer, A Love Story is her debut book. Jacqueline von Zwehl, is a faith based relationship expert. She holds a BFA from New York University and a MBA from Pennsylvania State University. Jacqueline travels the country as a motivational speaker encouraging singles on the path to finding their soul mates. She has appeared on Nite Line, The Harvest Show, EWTN, TCT TV, Victory TV, CatholicTV, Telecare, Changing Lives, CatholicLife, That's the Spirit, The Church, The Cardinal and You, NPR, and more. Jacqueline lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband Christopher, their two daughters and dog. The Prayer, A Love Story is her debut book.

Read Jacqueline's Blog at www.jackievonzwehl.com

Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/JackieVonZwehl

Follow: www.twitter.com/JackieVonZwehl

Author Profile: www.goodreads.com/jackievonzwehl

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