NEW YORK - s4story -- Author Tereska E. James has announced the release of "Celebrating Life is My Religion," a powerful memoir of Joan G. Mitchell – James' mother – that began as a collection of quotes in 2022, to celebrate Mitchell's impending 70th birthday, and instead became a powerful testimony to strength and resilience.

"I want people to understand who my mother is at her core and what it's taken for her to come from a shy, insecure girl to a woman fully living in her truth unapologetically," James said. "I want them to see that her celebrating life is more than her life's motto or the words she says, but a way of life that gives her the courage and strength to truly live each day as if it were her last even in the midst of pain and heartache."

More on S For Story

• USA Air Management Marks 30 Years of Air Duct Cleaning in NJ Urges Homeowners to Schedule Dryer Vent Cleaning Before Heating Season
• Dr. Jay Johannigman Returns to Cincinnati Following 46 Years of Military Service
• Allstream Energy Partners, SEO Experts in Oil and Gas, Awarded Gas Processing OEM Agreement
• Growth Story Expands: $54.6M Contract, $30M Revenue Run Rate, 800+ Customers, 50+ Patents & New AI Cybersecurity Products for Cycurion, Inc $CYCU
• Sky Quarry Restarts Nevada's Only Crude Oil Refinery — A Major New Chapter Begins in This Highly Lucrative sector for N A S D A Q: SKYQ

James became known for her melanoma advocacy, after her beloved sister, Tanya, perished just two months after being diagnosed with the disease in 2015. Now, she advocates for her mother's story to be told, demonstrating that people can experience unspeakable loss and sorrow, yet still triumph in the face of adversity.

"I want readers to feel empowered and enlightened," she continued. "I hope readers will want to reflect on their lives…not with shame or regret, but knowing that no matter what life brings, there is always a reason to celebrate life. My mom and I are very close, but in the writing of this book, I discovered things about her that I never knew. I hope this book also sparks conversations among their own families."

"Celebrating Life is My Religion" is available now on http://amazon.com.