women

Guest Blog for today my sister and author, Janina Grey

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 April 24, 2022

Hello everyone! I would like to introduce my amazing sister and author, Janina Grey. She is a woman who has persevered throughout her entire life to reach her goal of becoming an author. Janina has met many obstacles that could have ultimately ruined her chances of becoming published and prevented her from accomplishing this long life goal that she pursued and never gave up on.

I encourage you to read her books because I can assure you in many ways you will be able to relate to her characters who make you feel that love is possible no matter what the circumstances are that could prevent it from happening.

I love you Bean and I am so proud of the woman and human being that you are. You are truly my inspiration and helped convince me that giving up was never an option.

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Thank you, Jeana, for inviting me to Guest Blog at your beautiful site. Simple Sweet Living feels like a warm hug, a pat on the back, or an encouraging talk every time I visit. Your words are down to earth and real, and it’s an honor to be a part of the Simple Sweet Living experience.

Traditionally, my guest blog experience is dedicated to completely promoting my books. But, in light of where I am posting, I’d like to refocus a bit.

Strong Women. We are the ones who have been dealt rough times over and over again, get knocked down, but pick ourselves up and say it will be better tomorrow.

Amazing Women. These strong women are amazing in that they refuse to let anything or anyone get them down. They are focused on goals. Protective of loved ones. Honest and hardworking. Positive and uplifting. Giving and nurturing. They will do anything for you if they count you as their friend or a loved one.

Resilient Women. Will only take so much crap. Then they re-assess their life, who they surround themselves with, and whether or not these people are real or fake, holding them down or lifting them up, and then they do what they have to do to make sure they are in the best possible place they can be – with or without the false people in their life.

Jeana is my role model. My inspiration. My mentor. Both for my own personal life, but also for the characters I create in my romance novels.

In my soon-to-be-released romance novel published by Soul Mate Publishing and set to release on Amazon.com on April 27, LIFE IS FOR LIVING, Jayde MacMillan is a KICK ASS SINGLE MOM, who is as ferocious as a Mama Bear, driven and motivated to provide for her two twin toddlers, and not afraid to go it on her own.

She is a lot like Jeana. And Me. And So Many Other Moms (Single or Not) I’ve had the pleasure to meet and get to know.


We are a hardy breed. And we deserve to be recognized, loved, looked up to, and honored.

So here is to all the Moms out there who put their dreams aside to become a mom. Here is to all the Moms who started out with a Dad in their kids’ lives but realized they had to make a tough choice and go it alone for the sake and sanity of themselves and their kids. Here is to all the FEARLESS WOMEN who pick themselves up DAY after DAY and keep moving forward because that is what we do.

You all are amazing, strong, resilient, inspirational women and deserve to be recognized and honored.

In LIFE IS FOR LIVING, Jayde will do what she has to do to keep her kids safe. In LOVE IN THE FOREST, Brooke Meadows will not be wooed or glamoured in exchange for her independence and wellbeing. In TEN BUCKS AND A WISH, Deanna Drake will not put up with any BS from any man, and will not be coerced into compromising her life dreams.

They all are in some way reflective of my path, my sister’s path, and the path of so many women in real life.

There is a phrase I’ve used in my life through my day job: Strong Alone, Fearless Together. That’s us. That’s the moms and single moms and the resilient women who refuse to be kept down. Who believe in goodness and kindness and who will settle for nothing less.

Thank you, Jeana for being an inspiration to me and for my characters.

You are an AMAZING WOMAN.

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If you want to meet the FEARLESS WOMEN I write about, check out my books at amazon.com/author/janinagrey 

You will not be disappointed.

My latest release will be available on April 27, but you can pre-order it now so it is automatically delivered as soon as it’s released. Don’t miss out!

AUTHOR LINKS:
Pop in and say hi!
Website: www.janinagrey.com quirkyflirt.com amazon.com/author/janinagrey
Email: janinagrey143@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/janinagrey
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/18967836.Janina_Grey
Instagram: @janinagreyauthor
Twitter: @janina_grey
Bookbub.com: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janina-grey

amazon.com/Life-Living-Earth-Sky-Book-ebook/dp/B09WNG7J7F/

What a great read for the summer!! Trust me and get it!!

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Love it!!!

Holy sh*t! I did it!

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I did it. I booked a campsite for the boys and I. This is one step closer for me to actually get to go camping solo. Over the past 2 years we have been going with my sister and her husband. This year we kind of graduated. We are going camping at the same campground with them but at a different campsite.

Then…. I took it upon myself to book a site just for the boys and I at a different time and place all together.

The campground we are going to is called Limekiln and it is up in the Adirondacks of NY.

I am actually looking into investing in a small rv that sleeps 3. Since my boys are turning 17 and 18 in September, I think I will be going on my own next summer. I think that a small rv might be better when I am alone as opposed to tent camping. Gotta have room for my dog! haha

So here is our site that I booked in July at Limekiln.

I am beyond excited.

All it takes are baby steps when it comes to accomplishing anything you want. Life is too short not to take a chance.

You’ll have one of those days DV survivor. It’s okay, just breathe.

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I’d say a majority of my posts, probably all my posts are optimistic, upbeat, positive, and reinforcing, but Friday was a pretty bad day for me.

It set me back quite a bit. I’m not going to go into details because in the end it doesn’t matter. What matters is that being a DV survivor is how you bounce back and realize that you’ll have moments like this in life.

I haven’t had a bad day like that in approximately 14 months. The one on Friday was over a miscommunication between myself and another individual. The screaming began. Not me but him. I froze. My legs were like cement. I felt like I was actually going to faint. I listened and barely spoke and after that 3 minutes of that horrific moment, just like that, it was over.

I don’t post about being a domestic violence survivor because number one, I hate pity parties. I hate dwelling. I hate reliving those time periods in my life. But now it feels different. I feel like I am in a place where I can discuss it to a degree without completely going into a catatonic state.

Without a doubt in my mind, PTSD and domestic violence go hand in hand. I’m getting better since Friday, I am doing things to try and forget it. I’m able to hold back the tears, the ache inside, the pains in my stomach, and the thoughts of it are diminishing.

You have to draw a line in your mind with you on one side and the incident on the other. Look over that line. Realize that you are on the safe side and you recognize that you are okay standing where you are. Look at that incident like you are watching it on tv. After it’s over, shut it off. It’s over and done with. You are standing over that line and you are okay and safe.

Next, look around you. You can breathe. You’re alive.  You are going to have times in your life that even though you aren’t in that domestic violence relationship you were once in, you will encounter times that are going to make you feel like you are.

This probably sounds like I am allowing people to treat me the way I use to, no. This is called everyday life and people are going to have heated arguments, disagreements, and even though it affects you so severely, those doing the screaming and yelling don’t have any clue. They don’t know what you’ve been through. But you do and you can overcome any blip in the screen. Your heart is beating and you are okay.

How did I handle this you ask? Well after he left the room, I stood with my feet glued to the floor. It took at least a minute to move my rock feeling feet and rubber band legs again. I am resilient and I can get through this I said to myself. At first I was angry, no tears, just rage building up inside me. I was disappointed with myself. Then the tears and sobbing started. This is the first time someone made me feel like this since I left my last relationship 14 months ago. I felt like I needed to go runaway and hide like I’ve done before.  I sat there and didn’t know what to do.

Right then, he walked in the room and sat down. Of course I was speechless. What do I do? How am I going to handle this again? But it wasn’t an “again.” He said to me that he wanted to apologize. He didn’t mean to scream at me like that. I felt a little relieved, not a lot, just a little. I responded with what I had to say and explained myself. It was just a measly miscommunication over something so trivial. I don’t think, I know he realized the way the way he approached me was uncalled for. We talked and I cried. I couldn’t help it. Through the sobs, I told him I am a strong woman. I am independent.  He looked at me like I was nuts and didn’t understand what I was getting at.  That’s okay though. Communication helped ME understand that not every situation is the same as it was before.

Even if it was a different situation, and it was the onset of another bad relationship, I have the knowledge and strength now to know the difference and exit from any toxic relationship that has the potential of infiltrating me.

Enough said. You too can overcome and defeat anything that comes your way. Just breathe. It’s going to be okay. You’re alive and able to get it right this time. Be thankful.