J.J. Devine's Blog, page 40

Preparing to hang with my writer peeps...

​Good morning, everyone!!!

​I've spent the last week preparing things for our writing meeting Saturday. I love getting together with these ladies because the writing energy that flows when we all get together is amazing!!!

​I realized last night I still have a lot to learn on this self publishing thing. I couldn't even find the unpublish area on our sites. Yeah, I am sure it is really simple and I'm just overlooking it, but I will have to wait until the meeting tomorrow and have one of our girls show me where it is :(

​So if you're wanting to grab a copy of The Hope Chest, you have 24 hours to grab it before it goes off the market forever :)

​There are just some people in this world that completely get you. My writing group is those people. We bitch, we moan, we laugh, we cry, we just outright support one another in this insanity we've bestilled upon ourselves called writing. There is nothing greater than having people who understand in your corner when trying to push the mark in this writing world.

​I look forward to our monthly meetings because it helps keep me focused. I remember those times before I knew other writers and wonder what kept me going when I wanted to just throw in the towel. I can't imagine life without them today. The friendships I've made through this venture have been amazing.

​LaNora and I had a vision several years ago on what would make a good writing chapter. Today, we are watching our dream unfold. Our strongest aspect is support for one another, and this is what we work hard toward each year. We look for ways authors can support one another, help one another, and just be that support system we all need to get through another day of writing mingled with daily life. 

​This year we are hoping to incorporate a few more ideas to keep us pushing forward in this endeavor. Tomorrow, one of our members will be discussing marketing plans. This is something valuable to every author. We want to push the mark forward and keep going forward. I believe our speaker line up this year will definitely help us do this.

​Well it is nearing 10 a.m. and I have a cake to bake, a kitchen to clean, and the rest of a meeting to prepare for before work tonight.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!



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Life is full of possibilities...

Good morning, everyone!!!

After a long night's sleep and some rejuvinating yesterday I'm ready to take on this day with a renewed outlook.

As I sit here this morning I can hear my angel granddaughter's windchime singing away outside this living room window. She would be four years old this month.

​When I think about life being full of possibilities I also think about those who's life was too short. Their time on this earth seemed so short in my mind, yet, then I think about the things they accomplished in their short time here.

​Baby Bug was only here for seven weeks and one day. Such a short time, but in her short time here, she taught me not to take life for granted. That each day is full of opporutnities and possibilities so reach out and grab them because no one knows when it will be their last.

​When I look around me there is so much to do, so many things I want to accomplish. Life is like that. We set goals for ourselves, we push the mark, we acheive, we fail. I look at all of these things as learning opportunities. Things to shoot for, learn from, and understand.

​Last year, I found I learned a great deal from my surroundings. Things that didn't make sense that are now starting to become clear. I believe women give friendship so easily, that at times we are surprised it is not returned. What we fail to see is not all people we know are our friends, but people in our lives to help assist us in a higher learning of ourselves.

​It is not about being a friend but how we react to situations where we learn the cold hard truths. Can we rise above the pain of rejection? Can we move forward and still be the person we are meant to be?

​Life may be full of possibilities but it is also full of lessons to help us acheive those possibilities. One important lesson is that regardless of what we set out to do, no one can do it for us. We must push the mark for ourselves, it will not magickally do itself no matter how much we wish it to. Believe me I've tried, LOL.

​Life is about making things happen even when we don't want to do anything more than let us pass us by. Sure we all need those days where we sit and reflect, but remaining in the reflection stage does not make things happen, trust me, I'm a procrastinator :)

​My wish for myself and all of you is that we reach out to our goals this year and grab them. Take everything in this life as it comes, but also push the mark for those things we want and desire. Don't let another year pass without at least shooting for the stars :)

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!



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Welcome to 2017!!!

 Good evening, everyone!!! Welcome to 2017!!! What are your plans for the up and coming year??? Do you have any goals???

​I guess you could say my plans for the new year just happens to be to progress a little further than last year. That's all I can ask of myself. I know a few areas of life I hope to work toward putting behind me. I want to increase some of my better qualities. I just want to basically to enhance some of the things I've learned over the years past.

​I've set up things a little better to help me maintain a bit more order. I still have a few things I want to work on and toward over the next several days but I will manage to get them done. Then I will really be ready to head into this new year with a vengence :)

​I have publishing plans, stories to work on and finish up, keep up with the day job, and also remember to play from time to time. I plan to keep my eye on the mark each day. Work toward my goals, and give in when I need extra rest, but don't let myself remain there.

​I basically want to get a handle back on life the way I like it.

​I'm really excited about my newsletter. I plan the first addition to come out on January 15th. If you want to be added to my email list for my newsletter let me know either through my facebook or here in the comments. Make sure you send me your email address. I like a mid month date seeing as it would work out best for me and I'm hoping with so many others coming out at the beginning of the month it will be more helpful to my readers. :)

​I plan to also continue my faith studies and hopefully will be able to get my prayer book out this year along with my cookbook :) Things just got so crazy this year that these two items got shoved to the back burner. I just want to put the fun back in writing for me, hence the reason I'm working on the novels I'm working on currently.

​So there you have it. My year in the planning. Let's see how things go, want to???

​Everyone have a lovely night!!!

Blessings to all!!!





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Insanity is my middle name...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​Well as if life isn't busy enough around here I decided to add a bit more fun to my 2017. I've begun work on my newsletter :) I plan to release my first newsletter January 15th, 2017. Then thereafter, release it each month on the 15th.

​This is something I've wanted to do for awhile just haven't done. With the new year I have big plans to push the mark, so this is just the beginning. I'm excited about this for sure. I will be featuring an author of the month. Which will have a question and answer aspect where I can share with you some of my author friends and their works. I will also be doing a tip of the month. Where I will be sharing some of my insights on how to get through a month of insanity :) All in all it should be a fun addition to my up and coming year.

​Hubby was very mindful of my writing career when buying my Christmas this year. So now I not only have my laptop but a wonderful keyboard tablet to assist me. He also made sure I had the latest in my writing program which is really amazing!!! The best part of all of this, he had no idea of my writing goals for 2017, so it made his presents to me even more special.

​After two years of his schedule and mine, I do believe I've found a happy medium where I can fit everything I need to do in each week and still be able to balance playtime, rest time, and family time. What I need to do however is not give up my days off from the day job and put that time into my writing job.

​I've made plans for my first couple of days off of the up and coming year to organize the things in my house that still need organized. This way I can start the new year off on the right foot. My bathroom and bedroom still need gone through so those are top of the list. I want to get back to the organization I used to have and maintain it throughout the year :)

​Yes, it is time to get off my behind and do what I love to do. It's that simple. So, wish me luck throughout 2017. I really want to get this up and going for sure.

​Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!



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Starting to feel more connected again...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​I'm starting to feel more connected now that my new computer is all set up and ready for business. I hate feeling so disconnected from myself, but I will say I did not have one meltdown in the entire week I went without everything set up :)

​I've had tons of thinking time this past week. Something that can be dangerous at times LOL.

​Mostly I thought about how much I would love to get back to writing :) I even almost broke down and picked up a notebook and pencil which was an option for sure :) But instead, I let my brain relax a bit, gave in to the urge to get a few things done, and focused on the Yule season. Yes, it is five days until Christmas and I still have a few presents left to get and yes, I still need to wrap the presents I picked up over the weekend. But they will get done and I'll be thrilled to have them under the tree awaiting for Christmas morning when the grandkids come over and have that wrapping paper all over my living room.

​I've asked the Lord and Lady recently to give me courage, patience, and understanding in some situations in life. Some of the situations I really want to let my not so nice self take care of, but I also know, through my faith, that this does not solve anything, and it makes things worse. I've had my prayers answered in the avenue, and realize what I already knew, sometimes people just need you to back away. I also learned something else I already knew, things are not always about you. I know that there is a core reason even to behavior and sometimes it is not our business so we need to just stay out of it.

​I hate to see people struggling whether outwardly or internally in this life, so the hardest thing for me to do is to stay out of it. But once again, the Lord and Lady are reminding me, mind your own business.

​Yesterday, I awoke to my water heater pilot light out. A few days ago our cable box had gone insane and needed replaced. My new fridge quit making ice and I figured out the line was frozen as well as the line was under the back half of the fridge causing it to kink a bit.

​What was the lesson in all this you might ask? Well, it's simple. Mind my own business. See, I am a firm believer in if we are too focused on life outside ourselves, things will happen to draw our attention back to where it needs to be, even in the simplest of things, such as a pilot light, a cable box, or a fridge water line. I need to worry about myself and not worry about what someone else may be saying about me. Focus my energy in a productive manner versus a manner in which makes me into a person I do not like.

​We often ask the Lord and Lady why, but when they answer, we are too busy looking outside ourselves for the answers instead of looking within. Sometimes their answers are found in the simple aspects of life with the lessons camaflouged in just little annoyances. But when we look deeper we find the answer, we find understanding, and we can embrace the lesson.

​I know to keep the schedule I set for myself, some days unrealistic goals, I must stay focused on what I need to do. If I get deterred from this the Lord and Lady do it for me, sometimes with health issues, other times with things breaking down around the house. It depends on how deep the lesson is I need to learn. This time I'm thankful it was a quick lesson and not something much deeper LOL.

​Today, I keep my sites on what I still need to get done for the holiday season and plan for the up and coming after the holidays are over. I've been reminded over the course of the last week that a healthy lifestyle is something that requires my attention. My careers on both accounts require my undivided attention if I am going to do what I need to do to be my best.

​Having the grandchildren over for our annual Christmas time sleepover, reminds me to let loose and play from time to time. It also reminds me to be in the moment when making memories. This time of year is about making memories that will last a lifetime, mine and theirs.

​The death in the family reminds me that we are all mortal and one day we won't be here. Leaving behind family members who will miss us for the rest of their days. So I must embrace those moments in life now and not wait for a fictious tomorrow. For it may never come.

​So this holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate, please live in that moment. Embrace it as if it may be your last, and be thankful if it is not. For the greatest gift we can give our loved ones is ourselves. Things in life come and go are often forgotten about. However, memories are something that will last forever in our hearts and souls. Passing from one lifetime to another with the most amazing power.

​Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!




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Advice to my younger self...

Good evening, everyone!!!

The other day during a conversation I came up with the idea for this blog. Strange how some things will trigger an idea :) Part of reassessing one's life is looking back on things, how you handled them, your actions and reactions, and has your views on life changed, and if so how?

​So what better time of the year to write something like this than right before the new year, when one lets go of the old and makes room for the new.

​My old self stressed a great deal. My new self still stresses but it's no where close to how my old self held onto things. So one thing I would tell my younger self is to relax more. You don't have to stress over every little thing that comes to your door. In fact, most of what you stressed over was really not as important as you thought it was. So lighten up, relax, and let life flow. Quit putting a dam on progress.

​Don't take everything someone else says to you so personally. You will not be everyone's cup of tea so to speak. You do not have to be liked by all that know you. Everyone is not your friend, so don't think they are. And that's okay, because everyone comes across our paths for a reason, and not all of them come into our lives to bring sunshine and roses.

​Listen to your inner voice more. Yes, it is right. Yes, it will show you where you need to be and what you need to do. Don't doubt it so much. You will save yourself a great deal of heartache by learning to listen and understand what it is telling you. So pay attention.

​Tomorrow is another day. So don't tell yourself that the miles upon miles of things you've outlined for yourself to do in one day HAVE to be finished. Sometimes it's okay to let clutter build up in the corner until you have time to personally assess things. You expect too much from yourself and most times what you set upon yourself no mortal human would be able to finish in a day anyway.

​Step outside yourself and don't judge. Everyone is going through something. And no, they don't always need your help. Sometimes everyone needs to find their own path, their own way, through difficult times. You cannot save the world but you can be the best person you can be. Have compassion for others and always remember they too are fighting their own battles in this life.

​Just do your best. That is actually good enough. Yes, life is hard. Yes, life can kick our ass. But there is a lot of amazing in the world also. If you can't do something, it's okay, you can learn. If you find you're not cut out for it, you've tried it, you've decided you're not cut out for it, and that's okay too. If you find out it is something you enjoy, apply it to your life :) Yes, it's that's simple.

​Open yourself up to explore the world a bit more. Sometimes the world is passing you by when you are so busy doing things that could wait. There is nothing wrong with letting people see the real you.

​Take time each day to play. Don't be so serious all the time. Remember the old saying, all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy. Well the same goes for girls :)

​Don't be so engrossed in work all the time. Make memories with those around you by being present in the moment. There is nothing more precious in this life than enjoying those around you.

​Socialize more. Yes, come out of your writing cave. Come out of your seclusion, and be present with those around you from time to time. Yes, this means you will have to leave the comfort of your house. Yes, it does mean that sometimes you will have to go outside your comfort zone. But it will be well worth it, I promise.

​Give yourself time to assess things in this life that happen. Don't be so hard on yourself when you don't seem to be healing in the time frame you think you should. It is okay to mourn the loss of yesterday. It is okay to be sad and embrace that emotion. It is okay to also embrace anger, self pity, happiness, love, and all the emotions that course through you at any given time. You are a writer, to write emotions you must understand them and all the reasons behind them. So lighten up on yourself and embrace your wonderfully emotional world.

​Live each day with passion. There's nothing wrong with being passionate about things. Love with all your heart and soul, because each day is a gift and should be lived as such.

​Don't compromise your beliefs, values, or ideas for anyone. The life you have lived thus far have given these to you. There is nothing wrong with holding onto them, growing within them, and allowing them to help you become a better person.

​Stand up for what is right, even if you feel all alone. Don't worry, your older self is always right there by your side. There are lessons to be learned from the past, bring them into your present and embrace what they've taught you. These are what formed your convictions in the first place.

​Most of all, younger self, love yourself unconditionally. Sure, you are going to have moments where you've opened your mouth and felt like you swallowed your entire foot. It's okay, everyone has those moments. Be forgiving of yourself and move forward. Love yourself with the same compassion you love others. Don't be afraid to say no once in awhile, because this is not being mean to someone else, but is giving you a chance to catch your breath, to love yourself, and to accept the person you are. You don't have to pretend you're something your not for others to love you, you just have to be you.

Everyone have a lovely night!!!

Blessings to all!!!


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So much on my mind...

Good morning, everyone!!!

​It has been one of those times in life this last week where you get a life's sucker punch and it knocks the wind right from your lungs. All you can do it hold on for the ride.

​I have two things in this life I do truly hate in this world, abuse and illegal drugs. These are things that I, no matter how hard I try, cannot accept for any reason. I know that everyone has free will and everyone makes their own choices, however, neither of these two things should be an option for anyone.

​I learned early how to 'fake it till you make it' because that's what you do when you are abused. You learn to plaster a stupid smile on your face and pretend you are fine even when you feel like the world is closing in on you. By my teenage years I had effectively learned to turn to writing to vent out my inner turmoil.

​Yes, when I was young I also did some stupid things such as smoked pot, took speeders, and yes, even drank. But what I am seeing today in our society is something so much more than what we did as young people to rebel against our society. Today, its all but deadly. This is what I want to talk about in this blog.

​A good many families have someone or know someone in their family that uses heroine or meth. These two drugs are on the rise, are extremely deadly, and are taking our young people from us one by one.

​Someone told me yesterday, oh I'm not a nark, if kids are stupid enough to stick a needle in their arm then they deserve what happens to them. Well, with that attitude we will lose more of our children to this epidemic, yes, epidemic.

​This isn't just happening to kids who come from the wrong side of the tracks, it is happening to all our kids. In the last few years I've personally lost two young cousins to this nonsense and know of at least one nephew and several friends of mine's children, who are using. Each day is a day that I could get the word that one or all of them have succumbed to this senseless death.

​Putting our heads in the sand is not the answer. I am also mature enough to know, you cannot make someone stop something unless they want to stop. However, there has to be something we can do as a society to stop this madness and save our children. It's not like its just some fad that will pass and these kids will go on to live normal productive lives. This epidemic hurts everyone. The families these young people leave behind suffer the greatest. Learning to live without their once vibrant child.

​There isn't a town in this country that has not been hit by this. Back in the day these were drugs only found in large cities, away from the small towns and quiet life people. Today, they are everywhere, attacking every family in some way.

​What is the answer? I have no idea. My brain has wrapped around this very thought all weekend and into this week, seeing as we recenly lost another young person in our family to this senseless mess. How do we keep good kids from getting into bad things? It makes no sense to me, and hopefully by writing this I will be able to bring some solutions to light.

​What makes kids play russian rullette with their lives? The sense of adventure? Go climb a mountain, take a journey somewhere you've never been, there are a million ways in this life to find thrills, without taking a risk for something like lethal drugs.

​I am not the type of person who just sits still and says nothing. Never have been since becoming an adult. What the answer to this problem is I still have no idea though. Turning in the dealers, is a given. Stricter laws for these dealers once caught, that's a given for certain. A friend of mine and I are working on this aspect. Yet, one thing that haunts me is if death is a deterant, then stiffer penalties won't be either.

​So, how do we stop this? Some of these children are loved beyond all means, not just children who feel they have no hope for the future. Some of these kids dying today are kids who've up to this point have made good lives for themselves. So how do we protect them? Or better yet, how do we help them protect themselves?

​The typical answers are not enough in this case. Love your children more, listen to them, make them feel important, ect. In this case, no one is immune to this possiblity. Every day a young person dies to this epidemic. Leaving behind a family to grieve and wonder what could have been different. Or asking the ever so prominent question, why???

​I've lost one granddaughter to abuse, and now two cousins to this heroine nonsense. All who have lost their chance at a future. All who will never grow old. Who will never have children of their own. Who have left families behind to ask why and grieve their loss for the rest of their lives.

​So when I say I hate these two aspects of this world, I say this with full conviction. I've seen the aftermath, I've experienced the aftermath and realities both of these things cause. My heart breaks for the suffering these two crimes bring upon famlies.

​Hopefully one day I will have some answers, but for today, I will keep thinking on this, hoping to find some solutions.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

​Blessings to all!!!


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What I learned from NaNoWriMo

Good evening, everyone!!!

No, I didn't manage my 50,000 words this month, :( However, that doesn't mean I didn't learn a great deal from taking on this challenge.

This month is already chaotic, however, if you are an author, a good many of the days during the year are chaotic so it's only slightly more hectic than a normal month.

I learned I could take on crazy schedules both in my writing world and outside my writing world and still live to see another day. I'm also much happier when I am writing on a daily basis even if the word count is not what I'd like it to be.

I learned that, yes, I can write at 2:30 a.m. or 4 a.m. after I've been to sleep. It's a whole different ballgame than staying up until those hours writing, but going to bed, getting up early, and getting some writing in before I head out to the day job, that was interesting to say the least.

I learned that even under high stress from the outside world, I could still write every day and take a break from the stresses of this life. I was able to remember why I love writing stories and how getting caught up in them is so much nicer than getting caught up in the every day drama of the world around me.

I learned where there is a will there's a way. Some days all the writing I managed was the time before work. Other days I wrote before work, during work, and after work. I still managed to get the things done I needed to do in both my writing world and the real world.

Most of all I learned to be happy with whatever I managed to get in each day without getting aggravated at myself for only getting a thousand words or less as some days would have it.

Life likes to throw us curve balls, it's how we learn. So instead of being down on myself I have to look at the progress made. I feel fantastic about putting effort into writing each day. It reminded me of how much I enjoy writing stories and letting the characters carry me away.

I know now I can withstand some pretty major storms and still focus on what I need to do for me. I would have to say this was the biggest leason learned from NaNoWriMo this year :)

Everyone have a lovely night!!!

Blessings to all!!!

November is almost over...

Good morning, everyone!!!

Two more days and November will be concluded. Where has 2016 gone? I've had so much going on this year that I'm not sure where the time actually went.

I've had some amazing conversations with my writer friends about the direction of where my writing should go. They've helped me make some pretty solid plans for my writing future and even though I won't finish NaNoWriMo again this year, I've managed to push myself further than I have in a long time. I've figured out how to work my writing time and my work time together. I've figured out how to write even when I'm stressed.

One thing I've definitely learned over the course of this month has been if you are an author you need that support you get from other authors. They keep you going even when you want to throw in the towel. They've been where you are and can understand completely how you feel. I love how supportive my writing group friends are. They are always at the ready to give out encouragement or even whine with you a few minutes, before you both say okay, back to work.

There is something about this relationship that completes an author. It gives hope where sometimes hope is lost. It answers they question, why am I doing this?

I wouldn't trade my family and friends for the world, but I also wouldn't trade a single writing friend for the world either. Yes, there is a difference between the two. Writing friends get you on all levels. They understand the balance between daily life and the writing life. They know the frustration of daily life getting in the way of your writing life and the desire to just hide away and write until you can't see the page any longer.

They know the charge your body and mind receive from a good brainstorming session. Whether the brainstorming is over a story or your writing career. The refreshing energy flows through you like a tidal wave of wonder and you are ready to take on the world again.

I awoke this morning with an epiphany to apply to 2017. With fresh goals, fresh mindset, and a firmness to accomplish these. Winter is coming on here in Indiana, which steals the outside world from you most days. For the writer in me, I cherish this. Only leaving the house when I have to and enjoying the quiet cold days deep inside the realms of a story.

After brainstorming with a writer friend at the beginning of the month, I realized what was holding me back and why. Now I can move into these winter months with a fresh start, fresh eyes, and a fresh drive to keep moving forward. I understand more fully the path I am to take and how to get there.

I realize sometimes things take time. I also understand how scary it is to move forward in an uncertain world. But that is life, isn't it? We never know what tomorrow will bring. How tomorrow will change us forever. I know from experience that sometimes our heart just isn't into life in general, nor is it ready to move forward by any means. Things in this world can change us in the blink of an eye.

The death of a granddaughter changed me in so many ways. Her death came in the midst of launching my writing career. I've not been the same ever since and this I know. But, one thing I've learned from this is life is short, embrace it, and do those things that make you happy. Today, I am clearer than I've been in years on the next step to my future. So today, after my epiphany, I embrace what is to come.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!

Challenging oneself is definitely a good feeling...

Good morning, everyone!!!

I've found myself in the midst of a few challenges this week and I've also learned a great deal from these challenges. Such as throw out the word 'can't' and replace it with I'll give it my best shot.

I learned long ago to quit limiting myself to the possibilities, but that doesn't change the fact that every day there is something to learn from this things we call life. I just wish sometimes I wasn't so blessed with lessons to be learned LOL.

I recently learned not to limit my mind when it comes to others. To let judgmental attitudes go to expand my mind to the possibilities of what I could see and learn from others walking this earth. What I've found is a broader spectrum of the world I live in.

It doesn't matter where you live in this big old world, we're still just a tiny corner in a much bigger picture. Every person has their own spice to bring to your pot. Even the ones who challenge every aspect of your life is bringing a lesson to the table for you. If they challenge your nerves, as I've had this week, there is an experience in there, something for you to learn to rise above. Something to apply to your life. You just have to get past your anger to see it.

One thing I've also learned is those who challenge us daily, wear on our nerves, or just get our gander up, well, those are the people we put time limits on for being in our daily life. If we have to be in their presence, then make the most of it. If we don't have to, then by all means keep them at a distance.

We have been placed in their life as well for a purpose. That purpose may or may not be known to us. It doesn't have to be clear to us, but the challenge is to hold onto your true self and not allow them to change you, make you bitter, or spiteful.

This is my biggest challenge yet. Maintaining me in a world that would be so easy to remain bitter and angry all the time. To hold out for karma when one would rather just take care of the problem themselves.

This is where I realize I've grown much deeper in my faith. I understand the control we have as human beings and how our minds can unlock the doors to many things we were not aware of. Yet, with this power comes knowledge, comes compassion, and yes, even forgiveness.

In my faith we realize we control our elements. We draw from the power each has to offer. To allow these powers to guide us, assist us, and help us through our toughest times. We grow within our world and that around us, bring new strength into our lives, a strength we did not realize was there.

Everyone have a lovely day!!!

Blessings to all!!!