Kate Devlin's Blog, page 2

Girlfriends

Once upon a time, I got a divorce. In the aftermath, I found a wonderful single parent support group here on the World Wide Web. We were a list with many, many emails flying around daily. At our zenith, I was dealing with three hundred or more emails every day. Now, I’d run from something that busy, but they were a lifeline. One day, I’ll blog about them, but let’s move on for now.

From this group, I bonded with a wonderful group of women who have been a part of my life for sixteen years, now. Once again, I am blessed. Once again, I am the lucky one, for we have enriched each other’s lives in countless ways. The nine of us span from Texas to Canada, not counting the world travelers. Though we do not email each other daily with our ups and downs, most of us Facebook. Yet still, when one of those major life events happens, an email comes and we rally.

For me, these women define the term girlfriend, even though none of us live close enough to see each other on any sort of frequent basis. We can’t do lunch, but we can do friendship with the best of them. In our time together, our children have grown up and begun having children of their own. We’ve seen each other through more life events than I can name in a blog post, but most of those experiences aren’t mine to share.

I tried to write a book about us, but I couldn’t do us justice. We’re better in the real world than as fiction, anyway. So, to Deb, Sandra, Forsyth, Dena, Sandy, Nan, Rachel, and Colleen, I raise my coffee cup and wish us another sixteen years, ladies. You know how much I love you.

What love is this?

We all have miracles in our lives. All of us. Of all the miracles in my life, my youngest niece tops the list. She was born on faith, her middle name is Hope, and she’s taught us all so much about love. Love to have the courage to trust in God, the Universe, or whatever you call the higher power you believe in, my family is steeped in the stuff, and I am blessed.

This love is a two way street. We certainly give love, but it’s matched tenfold. I was there the morning she came. My sister had been in the hospital seven weeks by then, giving my niece every possible chance of survival. As they wheeled her out the door, I was keenly aware of just how powerless I truly was as a human being. Nothing I could do would change the outcome of what happened in that delivery room. All I could do was wait and pray.

I helped the nurses move my sister’s things to another room down the hall, grateful for something to do with my hands and feet. The heavy air seemed to move with us. Along with our worries and fears, I was aware of love, love more powerful than I’ve ever experienced. Love enough for whatever the outcome. The waiting seemed endless.

My brother in law came into her new room first. I’ll never forget what he said. “They both made it. The rest is up to God.”

The doctors gave the baby a one percent chance, yet she left NICU on Christmas Eve. My sister and her family drove up today for my cousin’s fiftieth birthday celebration. Their oldest, whom I love just as much, is now seven, and the youngest is three.

I watched them interact today as a family, and I am aware of just how much love can transform us from singular to plural. From alone to part of a whole. They are four very strong, individual people bonded together by something most powerful. What they have endured as family has made me love them all the more. They shine as parents, and my nieces thrive, safe in their environment. Most of all, they will forever be my reminder never to give up hope.

New Release: Midnight Melody

[image error]Several years ago, I was having a conversation over the phone with my sister. As a result, I sat down at the computer and wrote her the first three chapters of a romance novel. There was much telling, little showing, way too many people introduced way too soon, lots and lots of head hopping, and a superfluous number of adjectives.

I was hooked. I wrote an entire book, eighty-five thousand words with little or no conflict whatsoever. The book began with a dream sequence and ended with a flashback… Yeah baby! The second book, I added conflict, but to say it was busy is an understatement. My hero had three jobs. My heroine had a lover she didn’t give up until halfway through the book… And yes, this was a romance.

I was flying. I decided to join some writing groups and OMG!!!!! I ran far and fast, content to write book number three and hide under my turtle shell. Well, I was too conflicted for book number three to materialize, so I started trying to figure out what I was missing. I braved the world of writers groups once again, and found a group who would keep me. I’m proud to say most of them are still good friends.

So, here I sit, ready to announce my first book! It’s a novella, short and sweet, about two subjects I never dreamed I could write. Lesbians and zombies. Yes, you heard me. Writing about zombies, all I can say is I just might have to do it again. Lesbian romance, that was harder, but equally intriguing. I wasn’t brave enough to ask any of the women I know of that persuasion to give me advice.

Midnight Melodies is available at http://www.nobleromance.com/.