Rani Divine's Blog, page 3

2020: Resolved

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by, as we approach the end of our beloved 2019. Well, I’m sure it was beloved for some of us. Me? I think it was a good year. Not as good as some, but it was still a very good year, a year in which I learned a lot about myself and developed in many ways I didn’t know I was capable of developing in—and I’m super excited to see what 2020 brings!
But today, for the last post of the year, I wanted to talk a little bit about the coming year, maybe just to put your mind a little bit at ease.
2020: Resolved
I know that a lot of you will jump on the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon. I know you will. And for some of you, you’ll even be able to carry those things out. But for most of us, it’s just not feasible. We set goals that we have no way of attaining, and when we realize that at the end of January, we just give up on it completely. I know that we do this, because I’ve done it too, and because statistically, it’s what most of us do.
And that’s what I’d like to talk to you about today. Because I think that by making resolutions, we’re putting a lot of undue pressure on ourselves, as we enter the new year. And I think we’re better off thinking of it as a little more of a blank slate, that can be whatever we want it to be. It doesn’t have to be about losing those fifteen pounds or learning not to eat so much junk food. Sure, those are good things, and probably things that you should be working toward anyway if that’s what’s on your heart to do, but it shouldn’t be 2020 that propels you into doing it. It should be you. It should be your decision, to make a change, to be a different and better version of yourself. And it should be you, to realize that this isn’t a goal you can impose upon a year, and expect the year to carry it out for you. You’re the one who has to put in the hours, and if you’re ready to do it, if your heart’s set on it, you’ll get it done.
In my opinion, New Year’s Resolutions are pretty much bunk. They’re not worth it. They’re pointless. They’re a resolution that we impose upon the months of January and (sometimes) February, before we finally throw the resolution out the window. What’s the point of that?
So instead of looking at 2020 as a list of things you want to change, a list of things you’re resolved to do, I want you to look at it as one thing.
What’s the first thing you want to do, in 2020? Which of those resolutions is the most important to you, and why?
Once you know that, once you understand the motivation behind the goal, it’ll make it a whole lot easier to stick through that one thing. And once you’ve made it through a month with that one thing, you can add a second thing in February, a third in March, and so on and so forth, until these things become the new norm for you.
Some of those things won’t take you a whole lot of time, and aren’t that important in the long run. So save those things for the end of the year, and focus now on the important ones, the ones you know will take you a while, and the ones you know will mean the most to you in the long run.
You can do this. You can be whoever you want to be. You can be what you want to be. I know you can. You just have to look at your opportunities in the right light.
As we say goodbye to 2019 and open the door for 2020, just remember, a new year is just that: it’s an opportunity. And you can do whatever you want, with it.
Knowing that… what would you do, if you could do anything? I think that’s a pretty good place to start.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

It's Christmas: Being merry

Merry Christmas, everyone!
Yeah, yeah, I know, it was yesterday, but I didn’t want to change my post schedule and have to remember to hop online on Christmas day. You know how it is. But still, thank you all so much for checking back in to Too Many Books to Count, and allowing me to wish you a happy, happy Christmas!
You, all of you, mean a great deal to me. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve meant a lot to me, every time you’ve dropped in to read the words I’ve written. And I wanted to express that, during these festive times.
I know that the holidays can be a difficult time, for many people. I know that even I have had occasion to struggle my way through the holidays, though I generally adopt the “grin and bear it” attitude at some point along the way. And I know that for some of you, Grinching is easier for you in the long run, than trying to get into the holiday spirit. And that's okay. 
I also know that for some of you, getting into the holiday spirit is as easy as pie (which, by the way, is really easy to make). I know that even I have had years where I smile brightly without even thinking about it, and barely have to put any effort into my cheer. And I know that for some of us, that holiday spirit is just baked right in, right from the start. And that's okay, too.
No matter which one you are, no matter where on the spectrum you fall, I sincerely hope that you had the happiest of Christmases.
I really do.
I hope that you got a gift, from someone you love. I also hope you gave a few away—after all, that’s more fun sometimes, isn’t it?
I hope that you smiled, until your face hurt—after all, sometimes a smile is all we need, to feel that much better.
I hope that you felt that hope and peace, that’s always around for me, during the holidays. And I hope that you’ll have an amazing year to come.
And don’t worry; I’ll be back next week with some fun thoughts, for the end and beginning of years.
[love]
{Rani Divine}

It's Christmas: Traditionally Divine

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by. Thank you so much for joining me earlier in the month, for my series on not-quite-resolutions and things that I have planned for 2020—it was great fun, and it’s always a joy for me to look to the future, with all of you.
But, as promised, this week it’s all about the fun. And I wanted to tell you a little bit more about me, by talking about the holidays in my household.
Divine Holiday Traditions
DecorationsI’m sure most everyone has some sort of tradition, when it comes to decorating the inside (or outside, or both) of their house for the holidays, but ours is a little more intensive. Mum and I like to go all-out on Christmas decorations, putting up little snowy villages and nutcrackers and trees of all shapes and sizes, coloring the walls with bright stockings and festive wreaths and bows, even putting winter-themed stuffed animals in appropriately sized sleighs and placing them strategically around the house.
It's great fun!
I’m not entirely sure how this one started, but I’m so glad that it did. Interior design has always been something I have an eye for, something I enjoy, so a little decorating satisfies that itch in my bones. We usually start the Saturday after Thanksgiving, though this year we changed things up a bit and decorated most of the house in early November and left the Christmas tree itself for after Thanksgiving. If I’m being honest, that might be the new norm from here on out… we just love those Christmas decorations! And you can’t stop us, so don’t complain about our early decorating. You’re just being a Grinch about it. ;-)
PresentsWho doesn’t like presents?! Sure, I’m 28 now, but that doesn’t really change anything for us. We’re a family that loves to give gifts, and Christmas is just an excuse to really go all-out. The space under the tree is completely packed with gifts, wrapped and tagged and ready to be given on Christmas morning. It’s honestly something that we all really look forward to, even as adults, because now we get to give each other more meaningful things, things that’ll make a difference in each other’s lives. We've been known to spend hours on end, laughing and yapping and opening presents until we're all too hungry to wait any longer for lunch... and we wouldn't have it any other way. As long as we're all together, in the same city, that's how we'll continue to do it.
Sticky BunsThis one’s new, but I can guarantee it’ll be sticking around. (Get it?! ;-)) We started it last year, having homemade sticky buns and a pot of tea on Christmas morning, and we’ve all been talking about it for months. It’s something that has to stay with us, for a while. Mum and I love to bake, so sticky buns are an obvious choice in that regard. Every single member of my family loves a good cup of tea, so making a whole pot just makes good sense. And enjoying them all together on Christmas morning? Well, that’s just sheer perfection.
What about all of you? Do you have any little traditions you and your family do, on Christmas? I’d love to hear all about them!
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: Getting artsy

Hello there! Welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad that you stopped by. We’re somehow less than a week away from Christmas, and I’m slightly scrambling to get everything together before the holiday gets here. It’s a little chaotic, but you all know how much I love taking a few minutes to talk to you, during the week. It’s a highlight, honestly.
If you’ve been around during this insanely busy month, then you know we’ve been talking about 2020, and some of the things that I’m resolving to do in 2020, along with a few things that are already planned for next year and that I’m just really darn excited about. It’s not really about resolutions, but about getting excited for the new year, looking forward to all the great things that are to come, and thinking about all the cool things that are just on the horizon.
Today, we’ve come to the end of our series. I know, it seems early to me, too—blame the holidays, if you will. But I do have some really fun posts planned for next week and the week after, which meant that I needed to cut my 2020 series a little bit short. I did, however, save one of my favorites for last. (although, I’m fairly certain at this point that I’ve said I’m most excited about every single thing I’ve told you about…)
2020: Getting artsy
You know me; I like to dabble in art. I used to do acrylic painting. I’ve drawn. I’ve dabbled with so many mediums that I’m not even really sure where I should continue the list, but next year… next year, I’m getting back into painting. My mum and I are planning on taking up acrylic painting, and I’m hoping to get into watercolors as well. I’ve purchased some online courses to continue my studies on drawing, and I’d like to be able to publish some mixed media pieces, at some point.
Essentially, I’m artistic and I want 2020 to be more artistic, too. I think that’s something many of you probably noticed throughout this series, if I’m being honest. I dance, I write, I paint and draw… over half of what I do is artsy, when it comes down to it. I just love the arts, and dabbling across mediums.
So my goal, in 2020, is to try paint pouring, to learn at least some skills in brush strokes and styles with both acrylic and watercolor, and to hone my skills in portrait drawing. I really want to be able to draw my characters for you guys, so you have an even better idea of what the people in my head look like. I know it’s not necessary, nor is it something that really needs to be in a science fiction novel (I think it’s already a little late to do it for the druids, don’t you?), but that doesn’t mean I can’t draw them for fun, anyway!
2020, then, is going to be a busy year. I think we all already knew that. But this series has really helped me to see the number of fun things I have going on next year, along with the number of things I usually have to do, and new projects that are always popping up along the way.
I love it.
I cannot wait to jump in.
And now it’s your turn! Tell me all about the things you have planned for 2020!
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: Play the game

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by! And to those of you who joined me at the Winter Holiday Bazaar over the weekend, thank you once again for stopping by! We had a great time meeting all of you, and I can’t wait to do it again! If you have any events or locations you’d like to see me at, leave a comment or send me an email or Facebook message—I reply to them all myself, I promise :)
This month, as you know, we’re talking about 2020, and things that I have planned or am resolving to do next year. It’s a series I usually do in January, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that I should really talk about it in December, before 2020 actually gets here and I find myself already behind in all the things I’d like to do.
Like I’ve said before, these aren’t resolutions. These aren’t things that I’m necessarily changing about my life, but mainly things that I want to spend more time on, things I’d like to put more attention into, or things that I’m really looking forward to, that are already scheduled to happen next year. Resolutions never really last after all, do they?
2020: Play the game
I used to be a gamer. It’s something I’m fairly open about, for everyone who asks. I actually still really love gaming, and I’ve been slowly but surely getting back into it. I’ve started amassing a small collection of board games, and I’m working toward a collection of Nintendo Switch and PC games.
If you’ll recall, this is actually something that I talked about in some capacity earlier this year, in my resolution series in January. Actually… I’m not sure if that was here or in the RADblog… but either way, I know it’s something I’ve talked about with you before. One of my friends has been buying me PC games for a little while, games like Halcyon 6 and Stardew Valley, and I’ve been spending some time playing, when I’m not too busy with work and whatnot. Now, however, I’ve expanded—and I’d like to continue!
What do I play so far, you ask? 
Well, for PC games, I was recently gifted a copy of FTL, and I restarted King’s Bounty: Armored Princess. Neither of them are new games, if you wondered, but that’s usually what I tend to like, at least for PC games. For board games, I play a lot of Terraforming Mars, and some Ticket to Ride, and I’ve started a list of other games I’d like to get in the near future… but it’s the Switch games that have really given me the itch, lately, and made this something that I want to keep in my life, in the next year. On there, I've lately been playing games like Nine Parchments and Figment, but I also recently purchased Child of Light and Ori and the Blind Forest... so, I've lots of worlds to explore!
In 2020, I want to get better at video games, specifically on the Switch. Why? Because I enjoy it, because in some ways it’s relaxing and in others it’s a way to vent some energy. I don’t want it to be something that I’m addicted to, something I can’t stop doing for any reason whatsoever—which, incidentally, was why I stopped gaming in the first place—but I do want it to be a part of my life again. I really, really do.
What hobbies do you all have, that you want to expand or grow in 2020? And if you have any game recommendations for me, let me know! I’m currently always in the market for more ;-)
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: The druid finale

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by. This month, at least for another week or so, we’re talking about 2020. I don’t know why, but I tend to do my new year theme in the new year… and I thought it might make more sense if I did it before the new year actually got here, this time. So, we’re talking about 2020, and some of the things that I’m planning on doing in the new year. These aren’t resolutions, per se, but they are things that will take some doing, and things that I intend to do—we all know how resolutions usually go, though.
Today, I’d like to talk to you about one of the most exciting things that’s coming up, in 2020. It’s something that’s been many years in coming, many rounds of editing, and I honestly cannot wait for it to finally be done. Even though I keep crying about it. Seriously. I can’t think too much about it, or I’ll just start crying. I have a handful of tissues beside me right now, for while I’m writing this.
2020: The druid finaleCayau: People Among Us
You’ve been hearing the name for a bit now, if you follow me at all. It might honestly be my favorite name, in the series. Although I do also really like “Dewin: Stories Untold”—but I’m as yet unsure, whether or not that one will ever actually hit shelves at all.
Cayau is the finale in a series that’s been with me for almost a decade. It took me years to write the series, and years to release it. And we’re finally almost to the point that I’ll be releasing the last of the series, the book that brings it all together in a way that you probably won’t expect in the slightest. It’s also probably my favorite book of the series. Cayau features several of what I think are the best characters I’ve ever written, and characters who I still feel with me, in my day to day. They’re characters I’ll always go back and read, I think, simply because of how much I loved experiencing with them and through them, in the writing of this novel.
But Cayau has also become one of the reasons why I can’t help but really look forward to 2020. It’s a year that’ll be full of a whole lot of fun and new things, and the year in which I finally finish releasing the Druid Novels. I’m more than excited to finally get the last book into your hands, so you can discover the end of the saga for yourselves.
2020 will be the year that I finish releasing my first series. That’s still crazy for me to think, much less to know that it’s true. I’m stoked!
And I know that for some of you, that’s probably not very exciting. There are a lot of authors out there who are far more prolific than I am, when it comes to writing and releasing a series of books. But you know what? This is my first one, and I’m going to revel in it as long as I want to.
And then? Well, then I’ll start releasing my Earth-Space series (eventually), which I seriously cannot wait for you to see. I’ve already got book titles and cover designs thought of… all I need to do is edit. ;-)
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: Heading overseas

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by! I personally feel a bit like I’m caught in limbo between the chaos of Thanksgiving (for which my aunt, uncle, and their four children were visiting), and the insanity that always is the amount of things I have to get done right before Christmas… so it’s nice to sit down and write a blog post, look to the future, and think about things that I’m looking forward to, in the year to come.
If you’ll recall, for the next two weeks we’ll be talking about things I’m planning on doing, or things that I want to do or have "resolved" to do, in 2020. They’re not resolutions, per se, because I don’t really make resolutions. But they’re things that I’m looking forward to and planning on, when it comes to 2020, and they’re things that I wanted to share with all of you before 2020 gets here. Because sometimes it’s better to think about the new year before it gets here ;-)
2020: Heading overseas
If you’ve been around with Too Many Books to Count for a long enough time, then you’ll remember I went to Europe for the first time in 2016, with my mum. Well, in 2020, we’re going back!
I think, if I’m being perfectly honest, this is the thing I’m most looking forward to (maybe?), when it comes to next year. It’s something we’ve been passively planning for a couple years now, and we’re finally less than a year away from making it a reality.
I’m slightly on the fence, when it comes to talking about it. Partially because we’ve only been passively planning it, and so we don’t really know where all we’ll be going, as of yet. But I did want to share with you a little bit of our planning practices, and tell you a bit of why Europe calls to me, as much as it does.
Don’t get me wrong; I love the United States. I think it would be amazing to have a house in the United Kingdom, but I don’t know that I honestly see myself living full time outside the US. But, my family is very British. My dad isn’t from the US, but immigrated here legally when I was a little girl. He still speaks with a slight British accent, though he was pretty sure he’d lost it by now, and he brought with him a great deal of British practices. Is he from England? No. His family is of Indian descent. But if you know your history and geography, you know how those two go together.
Going to Europe, or going to the British Isles as we’re planning on doing next year, is a bit like seeing the world that my dad knew, when he used to travel. Visiting the United Kingdom, seeing places in England, Scotland, even Northern Ireland, is like seeing the land from which so many of my family’s customs have come. It’s also really, really fun to see so many places in person, that I’ve seen so often on television (what? I like British tv).
My mum and I love to travel. We always have, and we probably always will, and we’re very set in the fact that we fully intend to travel together, overseas, as often as we can. Next year is going to be a great trip—and it’s not even twelve months before we hit the road.
What about you? Are you planning any trips or vacations, in 2020? Wanderlust minds want to know! ;-)
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: Self-defense

Hi everyone! Welcome back to Too Many Books to Count—I’m so glad you stopped by! This month, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of waiting until 2020 had already started, to talk about all the things I want to do that year, I’m doing it in December, 2019. That way I can jump in head first, when 2020 finally gets here. Which I’m pretty sure will happen in the blink of an eye, with how fast the rest of this year went by.
So, I’m not talking about resolutions for 2020, but about things I’m planning on, things I really want to do in the next year. Be they trips I’m planning, activities, or even things to do with my writing—these are all things I’m resolved to do in 2020, without actually making resolutions out of them.
2020: Self-defense
If you know anything about me at all, then you probably know how much I love to travel. I love it. If I could, I would travel for a living. I love getting to see new places and things, to try new things, to explore the world around me and discover more about the people who live in it. But, being a fairly small woman, I feel like self-defense classes are a pretty solid idea, if I’m planning on ramping up my travels.
I have a pretty big trip planned for 2020, and I want to be fully prepared, in every way shape and form. I want to be ready for it. For whatever comes on that trip. And it’s not that I think this is something I’ll need on that trip, but that I know it’s good to be prepared, that it’s good to know myself and my surroundings and know what I’m doing, and what to do if there was ever an occasion to do so.
In 2020, I’d like to take some self-defense classes. I haven’t yet determined what form that’s going to take, but there it is. I want to know how to defend myself, and/or others, if it comes down to it.
Dancing has helped me become aware of my body in a way that I never knew I could be, but I think self-defense classes would really ramp that up, in a whole new way. I want to be aware of my body, not just as a form of art, but as a defensive being. I want to know what I am and am not capable of, considering things like my size and body type. Important things in this day and age, no?
Thus far, my plan is to get a group of women together and go take some self-defense classes, but that’s literally as far as I’ve gotten. I know that this is something I want to do, something that I really see myself getting into, in 2020… but I still need to put a lot more thought into it.
To be perfectly honest, I’m feeling like some of you might have some good pointers for me, on this front! So if you do, please drop me a line and let me know!
What about you? Do you have any classes you’re planning on taking in 2020, to better yourself as a person?
[love]
{Rani Divine}

2020: Let's get moving

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m so glad you stopped by!
So, it’s December. Already. Even though I’m pretty sure November just started two days ago. And I’m not really sure what to do with that. But now that it’s December, it’s time for a whole new series!
This month, I want to talk about 2020. Yeah, I know, that’s usually something that I do in January. I spend the month talking about all the great things I have planned for the year ahead, and by the end of the month… sometimes I haven’t done any of it at all. And then I don't do it, at all... Which is why I decided that this time, I’m moving the 2020 theme to December! So you can all keep me in check, and ask me constantly if these are things I’m actually doing during the next year.
Now, I want to be clear though. These aren’t resolutions. I don’t do resolutions. I’m not very good at them, and I honestly don’t really see the point of them. I think that the majority of the time, if you make one, you’ll have broken it by the middle of spring at the latest—and where’s the fun in that? So these are all just things that I have planned for 2020, things I want to do in 2020, or things that I hope to do in 2020, if I find a way to do them.
First up?
2020: Let's get moving
If you’ve been following me over the past year and a half, then you probably know I took up belly dance in 2018. And I love it. Seriously. I cannot get enough of this dance form. I practice not infrequently, I very often find myself doing hip lifts to whatever song happens to be playing at the moment, and I just love having a way to connect my body and mind with the music that’s playing, and to express myself in a whole new way.
Next year, I want to ramp it up even more. I was asked to join a student belly dance troupe, this year, and though next year I know I still won’t have enough time to do it, I want to practice enough that in 2021, I’ll easily be able to join the troupe I want to be a part of. In 2020, I want to perfect a lot of things in my dance form. I want to learn how to travel gracefully across the floor, I want to perfect the graceful flow of my arms, and I want to master the art of layering something in my hips and my shoulders. Not to mention more work with zils and sword balancing.
Yeah. There’s a lot I want to do when it comes to belly dance, in 2020.
But I don’t think I want to limit myself to belly dance. I think it’d be fun to explore some other dance forms, as well. I’ve always been extremely fascinated by Irish dance, so I think that might be a fun place to start. I also want to look into ballroom dancing, maybe take a few classes to help me in perfecting that graceful movement I was talking about earlier.
Whatever the case, I want 2020 to be a year full of dancing. I want to be able to dance to any song you play around me. I want to be able to dance to live music, if I want to. And, I think, if I keep up the pace I’ve been at this year, I’ll be able to do it.
What about you? Do you all have any hobbies you’re hoping to ramp up in the year to come? I feel like that’s a pretty good resolution, if you’re going to make one—because it’s already something you do, something you love. You’re just adding a little more to it, along the way. Much easier than the huge resolutions I see most people making.
Next time? Something that’ll take even more of my time. ;-)
[love]
{Rani Divine}

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!
I sincerely hope that very few of you are reading this today, because you’re all out spending time with your friends and family, and eating inordinate amounts of dinner and dessert. I also hope you’ll have an extra slice of pie, for me. Pecan is my personal favorite.
Me? I wrote this post a few days ago, because I knew I’d be busy on Thanksgiving Day, but I didn’t want to leave you high and dry. My aunt and uncle, and their four children, are coming from Maine to visit us, which means my house will be fuller than usual and I’ll be running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and having all sorts of fun.
But I wanted to say, before this month is over, before we reach the end of November and the whole month goes by without my saying it…
Thank you!
Thank you all, every one of you, for reading this post. Thank you for reading whatever posts of mine that you read. Thank you for checking in, every so often, to see what I’m talking about that day. Thank you for reading what I have to say, and for enjoying it. Thank you for reading. Thank you, for existing.
Yeah, that’s a weird thing to say, but it’s true nonetheless. I’m thankful that you’re around, that you’re here with us, that you’re reading this today.
And I hope that you have the happiest of Thanksgivings, and that you smile until your face hurts, today. Remember, even if it’s a crappy day, your body literally can’t tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real one, so even if it sucks, just laugh it off and you’ll feel better by the end of the day.
Thank you. Seriously. Each and every one of you. Thank you for reading Too Many Books to Count, for reading my books, and for hanging on for the ride. It’s been a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see where we all go from here.
Have the greatest day ever, and don’t shop too hard this weekend, okay?
[love]
{Rani Divine}


P.S. RAD Writing has a sale this weekend… if, you know, you want to get some books, for some of your friends. Or, for yourselves. ;-)