J.J. Devine's Blog, page 30

Man, I need my morning coffee today...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​I am having a lot of trouble waking up this morning. I'm hoping between the coffee and the blogging my brain will go into function mode soon. You would think after sitting outside on the porch in the cool morning air that would have done the trick. But... nope... not happening quite yet.

​Keep your fingers crossed that by the time this next hour is up I'm fully awake and prepared for today. Fortunately, it shouldn't be quite as insanely busy as the last couple of days with everyone grabbing their chance at $700 million dollars :)

​Tomorrow after work we head out for some fun with friends for two days. Yep, my procrastinating side took over (okay, not too much, I was just too busy) and I still have those last few things to get done in the camper. I should be able to get off work at 2 today so that will be helpful as long as I've woke up by that time LOL.

​The sheets and blankets have been sitting in my living room for a couple of days now just waiting for me to get them to the camper. Every time I walk by them I say, "I need to get you to the camper." Every time I walk back by them I say, "I'll get you in a little while." So, I guess a little while will be this evening :) Because I have today to finish up what I need to do out there :) I'll get there :) I always work best under pressure :)

I'm hoping work goes smoothly today, but if things hold true to fashion I'm not so sure we're over the hump quite yet. I know I'm being tested these last few weeks in life's lessons because of how often my patience has been tested lately. I know I have to look at this as a lesson being taught and figure out how to maintain my patience all the while trying to maintain being fair. Not an easy task sometimes. Especially, when the solution is just so damn obvious to me. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

Yes, can you tell I need a weekend of getting away from real life LOL.

​I actually can't wait to be sitting by a campfire, enjoying the company of old friends, and just chilling out for a little while. Let my brain shutdown from thinking mode and just let relaxation take over. This usually gives me a fresh perspective on things. I hate when I have to react too much instead of just let things flow, but the situation calls for action. I hope that makes sense.

​The campground we'll be headed to tomorrow is busier than I normally like the campgrounds that we go to, but it is still camping, it is still enjoying good friends, and it is still being away from the insanity of life here at home :) So, it will be all good.

​These next two weekends will be hubby's last ones home until next year. He'll have a few days off during the week but weekends will be a thing of our past for awhile. Fortunately, we've had plenty of years of practice to get used to trucking schedules. :)

​So we will make the most of them. Enjoying camping this weekend with friends and next weekend with family.

​Well it has already began this morning and I haven't even gotten to work yet. Why can't people just to the job they've been hired on to do???? Life would be so much easier...

​Oh well, it will work itself out somehow... Or I will end up blowing my top that is a fact.

​Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!



​

Happy Hump Day...

Good morning and happy hump day, everyone!!!

​First thing this morning when I signed on to my computer and facebook, as I normally do, the first post I seen just made me shake my head. Then I thought, now my day is shot to hell. THEN I thought, nope it's up to you and your decision on how this day is going to go. So as much as it irritated me to see yet another post like this in my feed, I made the decision to just scroll on and be happy :)

​There is enough in every day life that can bring us down, why let something so trivial as a facebook post do the job right out of the gate.

​Today is going to be a busy one. Work, meetings, more work, more meetings, then hopefully get the camper swept and mopped and the clean sheets and blankets put back on the bed. I have a tiny bit left to put in the camper before it is ready to head out for a weekend away!!! Then hubby will do the shopping on Friday and get his part ready to go by the time I get off work. I will miss this aspect of life once the colder months here in Indiana arrive.

​They're coming, ya know. When I would get up at this hour a few weeks ago, the birds would begin their songs around 5 a.m. now it is around 6 a.m. which tells me they are sleeping later these days. Which means fall will be here before we know it. I don't mind camping in the fall, because there is nothing more beautiful in nature than the fall leaves reflecting off of a lake. But that too will soon come to an end and we'll be preparing for the cold and snow. Which is also beautiful in its own right.

​I'm trying a little something to see how well it works. I have horrible dry skin in the colder months which usually begins about now with the weather going from chilly to hot. So, I picked up some pure coconut oil and am hoping to nip the dry skin in the butt before it really gets started. I've only used it two days and so far so good. I'm liking the effects. I'll let you know how it does as the harsher weather appears.

​This week has been one thing after another. Staying positive has been a challenge to say the least. I had to do a few things I HATE doing, but being a part of the job it had to be done. One thing in this life that rubs me raw is excuses. I can come up with excuses with the best of them, but in the end I know it is just another excuse and it's not going to get the job done. I hate when people also play the blaming game. At least when I make an excuse I know it has nothing to do with someone else, but my own lack of motivation.

​It's easy to place blame elsewhere to make it easier for us to accept what we didn't accomplish. But man, in the end someone else is going to end up picking up the slack and that isn't right to the few who do it anyway. So that is where I have to step up and hopefully fix the wrong. Even though I hate this part of the job, it has to be done.

​I never ask more of someone else than I myself would do. Advice I received years ago from my father-in-law when it came to holding a position of authority in any company. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty right along side the team you work with. I've always taken that advice to heart and I can hear him speaking those words today just as I did all those years ago when he actually said them.

​I also know me being me, that I should not expect everything I would go over the top with from others. Because not everyone is as OCD as I can be and I understand this very well. It's my own personal demon and I would not wish it upon anyone else :) I also don't mind that aspect of the job either. Because that is just me, insanely OCD and I know when I get an idea that seems a bit over the top, well, it probably is LOL.

​So I'm grateful today is hump day. It means we're at the peak of the week and I can see Friday afternoon from here. Which that in itself is what is getting me through the week. This being the last weekend I will have off for a few weeks, well, voluntarily that is, I will relish in the time off more :) Don't get me wrong, I will have two days off in a row the next few weeks, which I consider my weekends even though they are midweek :) But knowing this is the final weekend before this schedule shift begins makes the time off even sweeter :)

​Well I guess I should get off of here and prepare myself for whatever this day brings.

​Everyone have a lovely day!!!

​Blessings to all!!!




​ 

Romance Writers Weekly presents...

Good morning, everyone!!! Welcome to Romance Writers Weekly!!! We've been refurbishing the group a bit and I am going to do my best to get back at this every week :)

​This week Brenda Margriet has asked us a few questions she'd like us to answer for you. Would you rather questions :) If your joining me from Dani Jace's blog welcome!!! If you haven't checked out her answers I encourage you to check her out!!! So here is the questions and here is my answers.
Would you rather be invisible or a mind reader?

​Hmmmm, this is a tough one. Being invisible would be amazing. Especially on those days where I'm exhausted and just don't feel like peopling :)

​However, wouldn't it be great to be able to read someone's mind once in awhile??? Okay, so maybe not ;)

​

​ Would you rather own a ski lodge or a surf camp?

​Well I only like cold weather for a short period of time and I'm not a huge surfing fan, so hmmmm, not sure on this one.

​I do like the beach. The sun, the sand, oh how I miss weekends at Daytona Beach. But still, not much of a surfing fan...

​I could use the ski lodge for writing the next Greatest American Novel... anyone remember oh say The Shining ;)
Would you rather be a dog named Killer or a cat named Fluffy?

​LOL, when I think of a dog named Killer I can only picture hubby talking to some little dog that's barking like a crazy thing. He almost always calls them Killer.

​A cat named Fluffy just reminds me of a girly girl and that I won't ever be I'm afraid.

​What about a cat named Killer??? Mine pretty well fits that name, she growls like a dog when someone is coming to the door. She is sweet one moment and hissing and scratching the next, sort of like a sour patch kid, sweet then sour though :)

​ Well that's it for me...

Hop on over to check out how A.S. Fenichel to see how she answered these fun questions.

The start of a new week...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​Okay, so who told hubby I wanted more shrubs cut down with that blasted chainsaw??? You know who you are and yes, I am plotting (okay, so I'm plotting a new novel, but I'm plotting) ;)

​This was the first time we'd used his new chainsaw and guess what, the darn thing is going back to the store. It wouldn't stay running, the chain kept falling off, and yes, we did manage to get the one nuisance shrub cut down, but man was it a workout. So, yeah, no more shrubs or trees got the axe so to speak. It was all we could do to get the one down that was top priority.

​I ended up going to the grandson's double header (got there in time to watch the second game after all the issues with the shrub), so it threw me a bit behind on my HUGE list of things to do yesterday, which of course I didn't mind at all :) However, I didn't get the bedding from the camper washed and on the line until after 5, soooooo... I asked hubby if it was supposed to rain. He checked the radar like he normally does, nothing in sight until Tuesday (which today is MONDAY), with a 30% chance of rain on MONDAY afternoon/evening. Yeah, that's how I jumped out of bed this morning, lightening bolts hitting the ground, thunder booming all around, and me saying, "Shit, I still have sheets and blankets on the line."

​Hubby being the sweet man he is, jumped out of bed with me at 4:00 a.m. but it was too late, rain was coming down in sheets (no pun intended here). So my sheets and blankets got another rinse for certain and yeah, they're still out there because I sure ain't goin' out there getting that soaked to start off my day. Keep your fingers crossed the sun comes out while I'm at work today. sigh....

​Today is the eclipse. No, I do not plan on watching it. Sure, I know it is a once in a lifetime ordeal, BUT, I've already felt the effects of this thing coming for weeks now, seen the results of the insanity, and frankly, I will be glad when this passes. This is like full moon insanity times a million. I just hope once it is over this craziness doesn't remain behind. A normal full moon phase is seven days, this phase seems to have already been at least two weeks, so I hope beyond all good sense it isn't another two weeks before the effects fade.

Don't get me wrong I love crazy. If I didn't I wouldn't be so crazy myself. However, insane crazy such as we've been experiencing lately, isn't my thing at all.

​Something I've noticed lately is Baby Bear seems to be getting even more protective of me. I don't know if it is this crazy phase we're in, if Mimi's death has something to do with it, or if he is just getting more protective the older he gets. Heaven help us if it is the last one, because he is only going to get older from here. It doesn't matter if he knows the people or not, if someone stops by he has this strut he does around them, as if trying to tell them he's boss here. Then he comes to my side, barking (his my momma bark) circling me. Of course when he does this it draws Shadow's attention and he too makes his presence known to anyone around.

​Now mind you, it doesn't bother me a whole lot that they're acting like that. They're my boys and I know no matter what they are my own personal protectors. To me they're my little boys, to those who see them they are, "Oh shit, those are some big dogs." LOL. With the craziness going on in our normally quiet neighborhood, I, personally, feel like the more protective they are, the worse it will be for someone thinking on taking up the challenge to get by them.

​Well I guess I should get myself busy and see what kind of trouble awaits me today.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!




​

Me and my coffee...

Good morning/afternoon, everyone!!!

​Me and my coffee are going to accomplish BIG things today :) So far we've manage to ward off the migraine that normally would have come with the mess I walked into today. I hate when a register at work goes down anymore, we end up losing important information :( But, I did the best I could with it and things turned out for the better I hope :)

​Came home from work and started my 'go to the camper' pile on the kitchen table. You know things like... oh the wine, the whiskey, yeah and a few other things not quite as important. Got the dishes done and the canner going, so now we're on the last leg of this tiny canning venture :)

​Hubby and I sat down and planned the meals and what food we want to take next weekend on our final camping trip with friends for this year. Hubby tells me he will go to the store while I'm working Friday to pick up my list, what do you bet, he will pick up more than is on my list LOL.

​The rest of this day is going to be busy. Hubby just informed me he was going to take down one of the bushes in the front yard with his chainsaw. Sooooooo....

​Yeah, I said, why not take down this other one too ;) Once we get started I will also be suggesting a few more things LOL. But, shhhhhhh.... don't tell.

​Then it will be off to the camper to do a bit of house cleaning, stripping the bed and washing the sheets and blankets to get them on the line. Sweeping and mopping the floor and anything else I can get into while I'm out there :)

​Yeah, this day keeps getting busier and busier :) I'm also hoping to get in a walk with the dogs and yes, some writing time before its time to hit the sack tonight. Tomorrow it is back to my normal schedule, thank the dear Goddess for that!!!

​Thankfully, I'm slow cooking ribs all day today so dinner will be ready when we are this evening and won't be a lot of work!!! I could really use something easy for a change right about now.

​Well my time is almost up for the canning jars, so better get off of here and change clothes before that timer goes off.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!




​

A few days of early early...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​Yep, I'm up again before the birds and will be at work long before they wake up this morning. It's my weekend to work once again. One more weekend off (next weekend) before my boss and I switch our weekends around so my days off during the week coincide with hubby's days off once again.

​The new pay period will begin soon, where we are paid on Wednesdays instead of Fridays. Which will be a slight adjustment, but will be manageable :) Then soon will be River Rally, Ducktail Run, and James Dean weekend. The insanity never seemed so touchable ;)

​Next weekend at this time I'll be sitting in a campground with hubby and some dear friends. Enjoying the company and relaxing around a campfire. So yeah, this week will be spent getting the camper ready once again for some more fun in the sun (hopefully) and enjoying yet another weekend of being with good people.

​This weekend after the day job, I will be working on pushing the mark to get another book ready for publishing. I had a strange realistic dream the other night about this story (not going to mention which story at this point). I was dreaming we were on the set of the movie production. It was so real, so fascinating, then I heard, "Mom, your alarm is going off." Don't you hate when that happens, LOL.

​At least today I shouldn't have to people too much. I do the books at work all weekend, so the most peopling I do is with one employee and a few hours of customers :) The rest is brain work which is fine :) It does break up the socializing a bit, which is a good thing for someone like me.

​I love taking in all the aspects of this time of year. I have a little tree frog that has taken up residence in one of our fence posts. It comes out each night and sings sitting on top of said fence post. The grandchildren first noticed it, and couldn't have been more thrilled. I listen to its song each morning when I chance to be up at this hour. There's also one particular hummingbird that seems to love hanging out with me during the day. Last evening this little one even sat down on the ledge above my backdoor and also in one of my flower pots. Her songs were so lovely. I never really noticed until last night that they sing. But sing she did.

​Nature is one thing I can do each day and not feel overwhelmed at the end of the day. It balances me. Renews my energies. Gives me a sense of taking away all the stresses of the day. Maybe that's why I get along best with my furbies LOL.

​Well I guess I should quit rambling and prepare to start this day. Mornings do start early the next two days.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!



​

Don't Let Summer End blog hop!!!

The one thing I believe I will miss the most besides camping and sitting around a campfire, is spending early mornings sitting on my back porch. Winters in Indiana aren't really back porch sitting friendly.

​I wake up each morning, even on work days, and grab my laptop, my coffee, and my furbie boys and we head outside to the back porch. The crickets are still chirping. The tree frogs croaking. The birds aren't even awake when we first come outside.

​The neighborhood is quiet and we just sit out here enjoying this little moment of peace and quiet in our world before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.

​This is my sanctuary. My lifeline. The place where nature and I come together in our small town. My fairy garden sits quietly off the steps of the porch. Adding a bit of magic to my quiet place. My dog in a hammock dreaming of his solar bone, hanging just in front of me. Candles and plants scattered about the railings.

​This place is my own private corner of the world. Where life happens and quiet moments await me. I enjoy company here. I write here. I just enjoy life here. It's my summer kitchen table, where all the problems of the world can be discussed or discarded. Solved or dismissed.

​So yes, when summer does finally come to an end. I will miss my little corner of the world until once again I can resume life such as this, in the warmer days yet to come.
​ Excerpt for Remember My Name... “You can’t be.”
            For a single second, relief came to those strangely familiar eyes, vanishing just as quickly when she uttered her next words.  “You’re the devil himself.”
            She sensed his defeat.  His hands slipped away from her face.  His back turned toward her.  Her heart crushed with the deep sense of loss radiating from his actions.
            “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”  His tone, was no longer angry, but heart-touching sad.
            “What else could you be?”  she asked, straightening her shirt more comfortably, hiding the exposure his earlier grip has caused.
            “Erui…”
            “How do you know my name?”  Shock at the sound of her name spilling from his lips, sent even more confusion coursing through her mind.
            “How can you not remember mine?” His voice, so intimately soft and heart-felt, took her by surprise. 
            “Why should I?  I came here to rid this village of Reko’s band of demons.  No other name was necessary for me to know.  All that mattered was for me to remove all of you from the midst of these innocents.”
            He threw his hands heavenward, “And you call yourself a seer!”
            “I call myself a demon destroyer.”
            He reached down, retrieving her sword, thrusting it in her hand.  “Then kill me.  If you believe in your heart, I am no more than some demon to be vanquished then by all means put me out of this misery I have endured for fifty years.”
            He stretched his arms outward, standing perfectly still just inches from her.  “Go ahead kill the demon you believe I am.”  He yelled into the fast approaching nightfall.
            Erui raised her sword.  Her hands trembled, barely containing the heavy weapon.  His earlier words rang out in her ears.  Misery I have endured for fifty years. All too similar to her own period of grief.
            “Who are you?”  Her words barely audible even to herself.
            Pain cried out from his soul, adding to her bewilderment.  Remember my name.  His words weren’t spoken aloud, but her heart heard them as if he’d screamed.
            “Kill me, Erui, please.”  Anguish lined the words he begged, loud enough for the world to hear.
            She lifted the sword once again.

​For more short stories by the Crossroads Romance Writers, head on over to Amazon, iTunes, or Kobo to check out The Porch Swing and The Hope Chest. The Lake House makes its debut October 2017!!!

​
Check out the other authors participating in Don't Let Summer End blog hop!!!

​M.K. Scott

​Teresa Keefer

​Lisa Caviness

​LaNora Mangano
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't Let Summer End blog hop!!!

Something new that popped up in our area this summer that I think is truly amazing is Grant County Rocks. Kids (and adults) paint rocks and hide them all over the county (and other counties and states). Then other kids and adults go out and find them and rehide them :)

​This doesn't sound like all that much, does it? Well, let me tell you what I've noticed.

​Kids are using their imaginations. They are coming up with some of the most interesting things to make their rocks into. Emojis, pie, pizza, even cool inspirational sayings. So many ideas so many fun things appear on these plain old rocks.

Then after they've painted their rocks, they go out and hide them. No place is too unconventional. Parks, stores, police stations, ect. They are turning up everywhere.

​Guess what?!? Then these same kids go out and find someone else's rocks to rehide :) Of course, they first post a picture of them on the Grant County Rocks facebook page :)

​I love how this has gotten kids back outdoors and using their creative energies. I hope this continues for years to come :)
Excerpt from Into the Darkness...     Raven awoke with a start.  A single candle penetrated the darkness that engulfed her.  Her body began to tremble as she assessed her strange surroundings.  She could smell Dragon.  He was close she could feel it as her body hummed its need for him.  What had happened tonight?  Where was she now?
            The bed beneath her was large and comfortable, much nicer than her own.  The room had no windows.  A solid mass of stone made up the walls.  “So no one can kill you while you sleep,” she huffed as her thoughts instantly fell on Dragon’s friend, Tristan.
            Then as she remembered the events of the night before a tremor washed over her.  What had she gotten into?  Vampires?  Witches?  Whom were they trying to fool?  Moreover, for what purpose?
            The heavy scent of Dragon filled her senses drawing once again her craving for blood.  If she was, the daughter of a vampire as Tristan would have her to believe then why did she too not have fangs? 
            The deep rich scent of Dragon called to her again.  Her body felt the urgency of her desires as the wetness between her legs dampened her skin.  Damn him, even now she craved the pleasures he stirred in her.
            She began to move from the bed only to have a strong arm wrap about her waist holding her in place.  “You told me you wanted to spend the morning with me.”  Dragon’s deep voice groaned sleepily. 
            “That was before I knew you were a vampire.”  Her angry words caused him to release her rolling to his back as he slid an arm under his head.
            “I’m sorry, Raven.  I should have told you.”
            “There is a great deal you should have told me.  Do you think for one moment I believe you or Tristan are these…these fictional creatures you would have me to believe?  And better yet, do you believe for one moment I believe I am the daughter of not just one of these fictional characters but a witch as well.”
            Dragon lay there silently.  His breathing coming in even undisturbed sighs.  “Are you listening to me?”  The demand in her tone was harsher than Dragon had ever heard come from her lips.  He lit a lamp on the table beside him illuminating his face to hers.
            “Are you done ranting?” 
            “Ranting, ranting!!!  You make fun of something that frightened me so gravely and you have the audacity to say I am ranting.”
            His hand came to her cheek instantly replacing anger with need.  “Stop it, Dragon.  You know what your touch does to me.  I want answers and I want them now.”
            Dragon withdrew his hand rising so the black satin sheet fell exposing his bare chest.  Raven turned her head quickly fighting the tremendous urge to ravish him.  “I mean it.  I want answers.”
            “Raven, I have never lied to you, nor have I ever made fun of you.  I meant it when I told you I love you.”
            “What are you saying?  You and Tristan are vampires.  And I thought I was the crazy one.”
            She suddenly sensed the pain of his heart, a deep penetrating pierce that caused her to cling to her chest as if to ease its pressure.  When her eyes finally returned to him, she gasped at the sight that awaited her.
            “Touch them,” he demanded harshly.  “I said touch them.”  He grabbed her hand and forced it to his open mouth.  The sharp points of his fangs poked at her fingers.
            Raven ripped her hand from his grasp.  “Stop, Dragon.  You’re frightening me.”
            “I know I smell your fear.  Look deep inside yourself.  Fear is not the only emotion that drives this craving for the taste of blood.  Your lust for me is stronger.”
            She studied his eyes closely.  She read the stream of mixed emotion that pooled in their deep darken depths.  Her head cocked as his voice sounded out in her ears yet his lips never moved.
            “See you do hear me.  Can a mortal woman hear what a man says within his head?”
            He dragged his naked body from the bed.  Raven gritted her teeth against the glorious sight of him.  Every muscle chiseled to flawless perfection.  The heat between her legs grew uncomfortable.  Damn him for making her want him even now.
            He went to a small wooden table across the room and poured them each a drink.  What was it?  It smelled rich inviting even.  Her mouth watered as the sensation consumed her.  He came back to stand beside the bed extending a glass toward her.
            “What is it?”
            “Proof.”
            The scent of the liquid aroused her but she held her ground.  “What is it?”
            “Drink it.”
            “And if I don’t,” she shot back before taking the glass from his grasp and placing it on the bedside table in a show of her defiance.
            Before she realized what was happening Dragon had drank down the glass in his hand.  He ripped her from the bed.  His lips crashed down on hers.  The liquid he had just drank still rich on his lips and tongue.
            Raven found she was unable to control herself.  She clung to him desperately.  She devoured his mouth against hers.  The taste of the liquid fueled the fire that was burning in her soul.
            Dragon pulled her from him.  Her hands quickly reaching for the glass he had brought her, bringing the glass to her mouth as she drank down the warm soothing liquid in one large gulp.  He watched as her tongue wiped at the remnants that had dripped from the sides of her mouth and proceeded down her chin.  His anger rose in his chest with each drop she took in.
            “I believe it is you who needs to answer my questions now.  Mortal women do not crave blood, my dark angel.”
            Raven’s hand went to her mouth as her stomach lurched.  Dragon grabbed the chamber pot just in time as the contents of her stomach resurfaced.  “You bastard!”  She screamed at him even as her taste for the dark soothing liquid returned in much greater force than before.

​Into the Darkness is available in paperback, ebook, and audio.
Check out the other authors participating in Don't Let Summer End blog hop:

​M.K. Scott 

Lisa Caviness​

​LaNora Mangano

​Teresa Keefer
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't Let Summer End blog hop!!!

My top ten favorite things about summer...

​1. Sweet Tea, southern style of course seeing as I grew up with a grandmother born and raised in Georgia :) Shoot, I drink sweet tea year around but in the summer it tastes so much sweeter.

​2. Camping of course. In any fashion. I love it, no matter where we go :)

​3. Gardening. I didn't plant one this year and I realized just how much I miss it. 

4. Swimming. Yes, even old ladies enjoy swimming when it's warm out :) My favorite part is taking our two husky mix furbies to the beach. They love swimming :)

​5. Grandchildren sleepovers. There is nothing like hanging out with a new and upcoming generation.

6. Getaways with hubby. I enjoy those spur of the moment getaways hubby and I come up with :)

​7. Sitting on my back porch, alone or with company. It's my favorite place to be when at home.

​8.  Waking up before the birds. It is so cool to wake up early and nothing but silence surrounds you. Then one by one the birds begin to sing their morning songs. It's super cool to hear :)

​9. Campfires, whether at home or at the campground. They are pretty amazing to just sit beside and relax.

​10. The company of good friends. It seems like in the summer we see more of our friends than we do in the winter months.
Excerpt from Destiny's Price... Destiny. How could he face her?  All she had said was true.  He could no longer deny the power her father had over her.  He saw it with his own eyes.  He heard it all with his own ears.  Jeb Connors was a burly sort of man, with cold calculating eyes, long greasy hair, and smelled even worse.  He was ten times Destiny’s size, and used his strength to bend her to his will.
            “I’m sorry, Destiny,” Stephen muttered.
            “For chasing my pa away?  Saving me from him, for now anyway,” she asked in a shaky voice.
            Stephen turned to her, noticing the pool of blood at her feet as she stood on two wobbly legs.  “What did he do to you?” Stephen gasped, running to her side as Destiny lost her footing. He grabbed her up in his arms, lifting her to his chest.  “Let me get you back into the cabin, then I’ll go for Nichole,” he said.
            “No!” Her arms wrapped about his neck, clinging to him. “What if he comes back?” Her tears soaked into his shoulder as her body trembled in his arms.
            “You have already lost too much blood, and now . . . I can’t chance taking you all the way back to the ranch house.  Nichole is the only one who knows anything about medicine,” he reasoned.
            Her body convulsed against his, and Stephen didn’t know if it was from fear or shock. “Please don’t leave me, Stephen.  If I am to die tonight I want it to be looking at your face.”
            Her desperate words gripped his heart. For the second time in a day, he stood there covered in her blood. By all rights, she should already be dead. Something in the moment changed within him as this epiphany settled uneasy in his mind. He may not understand much about Destiny’s situation, but one thing was for certain, he understood he needed to know what it was about the woman that locked onto his heart.

​Destiny's Price coming in 2018

​To read more of my historical romance and the first story in this series, The Cheyenne Bride, check out my author page on Amazon.


Participating authors in Don't Let Summer End blog hop:

​M.K. Scott
​LaNora Mangano
​Teresa Keefer
​Lisa Caviness
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't Let Summer End blog hop!!!

I'm late to the party... Why??? Because of course I was out doing what summer fun is to me :) Camping...

​My favorite thing about summer is camping. Anywhere, anytime. My favorite, however, is when we get together with our kids and grandkids and spend a weekend just being together.
​
​With lives so busy anymore, this is a great time for us to get together, build memories, and just enjoy one another's company. My favorite part is sitting quietly, listening to all the conversations going on. The laughter, the silliness, the hugs and kisses. When it's over it leaves a lump in my throat and a fulfillment in my heart.

I'll be sad for these days to end...

​
Here's an excerpt from Unfinished Business...             Jeff took a deep breath. “John Brown’s murderer was never found. Rumor has it wild animals killed him. Others say it was a serial killer passing through town.”
            He felt the tremble of her hand against his. “What do you think?” she asked.
            Jeff squeezed her hand. “I think we may never know. John was one of three people murdered. The other two were drifters no one had ever seen before. A man and a woman.”
            Jeni’s steps faltered and Jeff reached out to grab her about the waist. “Are you okay?” he asked as he steadied her on her feet. Under the street light he could see the fear lining her eyes. “Jen, what is going on? I’ve never known you to be afraid of anything in your life, but twice today I’ve noticed you seem to be afraid of something. What is it?”
            Jeni turned away from him, but he wouldn’t let her ignore his question. “What is it? You have always been able to tell me everything, why can’t you tell me now?”
            “It’s been ten years, Jeff, I’m not that little girl anymore.” She turned back toward their drive, but he caught her before she could reach the pavement.
            “No, you’re not and I’m not that young naïve boy I used to be either. Where have you been? What has you so scared you can’t even talk to me anymore? Jen, ten years may have passed but I’m still here for you, no matter what.”
            She shoved out of his touch, staring at him for a moment before shaking her head. “Just leave it alone.” She rushed down the lane toward her home.
            The rage inside him brought out the beast within. He could feel the wolf trying to release itself. Whatever frightened Jeni was enough to bring about his protective instincts. He had to maintain control. He had to. . . it was too late the transformation was already in progress. He leaped, the beast within released.
            Jeni screamed at the sight of the wolf running fast and hard in her direction. Instincts took over. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the wolf yelping and tumbling across the pavement. In moments, Dani and Jeff’s brothers surrounded them.
            “What the hell?” Austin yelled.
            “You didn’t!” Dani exclaimed.
            Terry and Kerry’s eyes glowed a bright yellow against the darkness, the beasts within them barely contained.
            A very naked Jeff, shook his head, warding off the confusion as he stood. “I guess that answers everyone’s questions.”

​Unfinished Business coming in 2018!!!

​Want to check out more from me:

https://www.amazon.com/J.-J.-Devine/e/B009P8P3PU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1502720540&sr=8-1
​
​
Participating authors in Don't Let Summer End blog hop check out these authors!!!

M.K. Scott
​
Teresa Keefer

LaNora Mangano

Lisa Caviness

​​a Rafflecopter giveaway