Live Unapologetically!

This is something that’s been on my mind for a while - that feeling ... that compulsion to constantly apologize. I’m not talking about those moments when you genuinely do need to say sorry. I’ve noticed that we often apologize for things where no wrong was done ....

We apologize for things we love.
We apologize for taking care of ourselves.
We apologize for asking what we need.
We apologize for what we believe.
We apologize for not doing what others want.
We apologize ...
We apologize ...
We apologize ...
We apologize for BEING OURSELVES.

When did we start believing this was the norm? When did we start believing that who we are was something that needed that disclaimer of “I’m sorry.”? What I’m finding, in my own life, is that we not only train ourselves that something is wrong with us or that we are somehow less than, but we also train those AROUND US. People become accustomed to expecting us to apologize for everything - even those things that are not our fault. It becomes easy to become the “whipping boy/girl” because we flog ourselves for every perceived slight.

If you do something wrong - apologize. 
If you’re unsure - talk with someone you trust and do a reality check. 

This is a tool I learned from my therapist so instead of beating myself over something that isn’t mine, I can ask another for their opinion. It’s been a lifesaver and has helped me break hurtful habits and remove things from my life that were damaging my spirit.

So, I have a challenge for everyone, should you want to do it *winks* It’s twofold -

1. Pay attention to the things you say out loud and to yourself. How many times do you say sorry out of habit, because you feel you have to, or for things that aren’t your responsibility?

2. This is one I’m trying to embrace - live each day UNAPOLOGETICALLY. Be you! Live for YOU. Family and friends are wonderful but they shouldn’t dictate who you are. Even if you’re the only one who loves or believes something, that’s OKAY. Did you hear me? Let me say it again ... it’s OKAY. You are beautifully unique and amazing and we need you to be YOU! Not a shadow or extension of something else.

You.
Gloriously YOU.

I’m working on this challenge myself. It’s been a process and I know I still have work to do. It’s been over a year but oh what a year it’s been! Happiness comes from letting go of fear, habits that no longer serve, and fully embracing the gifts and light you bring to the world. Don’t EVER dull your sparkle or hold yourself back.

And please, for you ... the world ... don’t apologize for being YOU!

Love you. Now go conquer the world and SHINE!

Bels xoxo #dare2fly

#WisdomWednesday - Find The Balance

#WisdomWednesday

This was a quote shared on my meditation app this morning and I love it! I also listened to a 4 part lesson on the Power of Rest that goes along with this.

Here’s something I didn’t know. ACTIVE rest refreshes us more than INACTIVE rest. While there is nothing wrong with binge watching TV and movies, adding movement to your rest helps recharge your batteries and your brain responds better!

Also, overworking yourself doesn’t always lead to success but it can lead to burn out. It is better for productivity if you do, let’s say, four hours of concentrated and focused worked as opposed to putting in an all nighter or a long hours day.

I kinda knew those things but we live in a society where our accomplishments and even passions are often based on overworking ourselves. If we work hard, we MUST play just as hard. The author of the book Rest shared how amazed he was that he actually got MORE done when he worked LESS.

Go figure, right? I definitely believe we need to bring more balance into our daily lives and not weigh ourselves down with too much. Find out what your body and brain best respond to and have fun with it. I know what works best for me so I’m excited to find that balance ❤️❤️

#dare2fly #embracethemagic

#TeaserTuesday - A Glimpse At Marcus St. James

#teasertuesday #amwriting 

Here's a small sneak peek into the next Havenwood Falls novella from moi ... this story ... it's going to kill you all with the ANGST!

"It was everywhere.
There wasn’t a place I could lay my hand that didn’t come back wet and covered. As I lifted my fingers to my brow, the fading sun caused the redness of the liquid to take on an even more sinister hue."As if being bathed in blood could get any more sinister." I chuckled softly to myself. My laughter felt misplaced considering the macabre scene that surrounded me."

~ Marcus St. James, Title To Be Announced, in the Havenwood Falls Legends line. Copyright Belinda Boring 2018

You can also #oneclick Nowhere To Hide, my Havenwood Falls novella, NOW! For more information about the series, check out www.havenwoodfalls.com and discover all the fun tidbits and book stuff!

#SelfCare - Your Words Hold Power.

#selfcaresunday

I got a reading while at the RenFair yesterday and one of the many things shared was to remember MY words hold power. The lady then added something that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about - “so be careful what you tell yourself.”

I always knew that words hold power. I try to be careful with what I say, ESPECIALLY when I am hurt and angry. I would rather say nothing until I can control myself than have to live with the words I throw out there. I know myself - I might not always remember precise words but I DO remember how words make me feel. If your words traumatize me ... good luck. As an author, I absolutely know my words hold power and again, I always try to make sure I use the appropriate ones to convey from my heart to the readers.

But what I tell myself? Yeah ... I’m not as vigilant and I don’t extend the same compassion to myself.

So this was a great reminder that as I try to improve my self care and making sure I treat MYSELF better, I need to be vigilant with the inner thoughts and conversations I hold.

No more belittling.
No more chipping away at my self esteem with careless words and judgments.
No more being critical and unkind.

It really does start with how we think and feel. It often doesn’t come out in our words or acts without first filtering through our emotions and thoughts.

If you wouldn’t say it to someone you love, why would you say it to yourself? There’s no need for “brutal” honesty. I can self evaluate and make course corrections in ways that don’t shred my spirit and make me feel less than.

The reality is - I need to be my own best friend. I need to be my own best support. I need to be my biggest cheerleader.

So this coming week is all about being more aware and remembering that there’s no replacing those words once they’re out. Be kinder to yourself. Never forget the value you hold and how important you are to us all ❤️🦋

#SelfCare - Do You Act or React?

#selfcaresaturday #saturdayvibe

What a wonderful quote to find in my newsfeed today! I was listening to a daily meditation lesson this morning on the theme of “shempa” and I feel this goes hand in hand with it.

Do you ACT or REACT?

Do you find yourself easily hooked into drama or others who seem to want to share their negativity with you?

Do experiences from the past that deeply hurt you still hold power enough to sway you from feeling balanced and focused?

I can only answer this personally ... yes. While I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement within myself, I know that it’s something I still struggle with. I’ve seen a lot of great talks recently - specifically one that talked about realizing that often times when someone has an issue with you, it stems from their own capacity to love and accept themselves. I know that it is at the root of my own insecurities and my interactions with others. Today’s meditation reminded me I am responsible for me and that I can choose to view each situation knee deep in reactive emotion or to evaluate it from a calm outer advantage point.

I can chose to sink or to rise
I can chose to acknowledge my feelings and then let go of what doesn’t serve me.
I can chose to empower myself and take a deep breath.

I love this quote so much! It goes wonderfully with my commitment to taking better care of myself, both physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I am worth it.
You are worth it.

Fall in love with your life.

WEEKEND READING ALERT: Nowhere To Hide!

WEEKEND READING ALERT! Are you looking for a new story to escape into?

Visit Havenwood Falls with the newest installment called NOWHERE TO HIDE by me! Sedona and Micah can’t wait to meet you all ❤️❤️


“Please.” One word. It was all I could utter as my mind raced to find the perfect thing to convince him this was a horrible misunderstanding. The problem, however, was I knew this could’ve been avoided had I been open with him. Countless conversations flittered through my mind, showing me missed opportunities where I could’ve broached the topic.
Micah had entered the meeting I’d arranged blind. I’d assumed my aunt would stick strictly to what we’d discussed, and now she’d reduced me to an ass who looked like she’d been hiding something from the man she was dating.
In his eyes, I had betrayed him.

#OneClick your copy today:


Amazon US: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zon 

Amazon UK: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zonuk 

iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-ib 

Kobo: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-ko 

Barnes & Noble: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-bn

NEW RELEASE: Nowhere To Hide

It. Is. HERE!! Nowhere To Hide is now available to #oneclick, devour, and SWOON over ... the perfect weekend read for those wanting to escape to the wonderful town of Havenwood Falls. I am so freaking excited and proud of this story and I KNOW you’re all going to LOVE Micah and Sedona!!

🦋 Don’t forget to join the Havenwood Falls Book Club and join in the release day festivities! 🦋

NOWHERE TO HIDE

By Belinda Boring

Series: Havenwood Falls

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: March 23, 2018 - TODAY!!

Cover Design: Regina Wamba, MaeIDesign.com

Amazon US: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zon

Amazon UK: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zonuk

iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-ib

Kobo: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-ko 

Barnes & Noble: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-bn

BLURB:

Fact One: A flock of crows is called a murder.
Fact Two: Cherophobia is the fear of fun.
Fact Three: It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

For Sedona Matthews, facts and knowledge act as a buffer between her and the outside world. Born as an empath, others’ emotions bombard her senses, complicating any relationship she’s tried to enjoy. When she becomes sole owner of Shelf Indulgence, she happily devotes her life to the Havenwood Falls bookstore, hiding away amongst books she loves. Because there’s another fact Sedona is painfully aware of . . .

Fact Four: In a town where nothing and no one is as they seem, falling in love can be treacherous.

Micah Westbrook has no time for love. Cloaked in secrecy, he brings his niece, Holly, to Havenwood Falls, hoping they can hide amongst the other supernaturals. He’s charged with keeping Holly safe and will risk everything to ensure those hunting them can’t pick up their trail. The last thing Micah needs is to be blindsided by a danger he didn’t see coming . . . Sedona.

Micah struggles to keep her at arm’s length, forgetting one important fact: When it comes to loving an empath, there’s nowhere to hide.

The Havenwood Falls shared world is a collaborative effort by multiple authors across multiple series all in the paranormal fantasy genre, allowing readers to discover new authors and stories to fall in love with. Each author brings a stand-alone plotline, so they can be read in any order, but there are many crossovers among the stories.

Other books in the signature Havenwood Falls adult series:

Forget You Not by Kristie Cook
Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda
Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf
Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson
The Winged & the Wicked by T.V. Hahn & Kristie Cook
Alpha's Queen by Lila Felix
Ink & Fire by R.K. Ryals
Lose You Not by Kristie Cook
Tragic Ink by Heather Hildenbrand
Nowhere to Hide by Belinda Boring

Coming soon are books by Susan Burdorf, Amy Hale, Amy Miles, Stacey Rourke, and more.

Also look for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series.

Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up-to-date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

#MaleCharacterMonday - Meet Maxwell!

#MCM (Male Character Monday)

With NOWHERE TO HIDE releasing in just 11 days, I thought you all might like to meet Maxwell! His muse is the swoony Tim Omundson which made him FUN to write!

Maxwell lives in Havenwood Falls, more specifically in Shelf Indulgence. He's a ghost who's pretty tight lipped about his past but is VERY opinionated about how Sedona lives her life. He can be pretty snarky when he chooses to be, but generally his heart is always in the right place.

Here's a snippet about him ....

A deep, familiar voice answered. “One of us needs to leave this store and have a life, Sedona. And considering I can’t, that leaves the burden firmly on your shoulders.”
Maxwell appeared beside me, his fingers twirling the end of his mustache. I often wondered if he realized he did that—if it was a nervous habit he’d failed to break. I couldn’t quite cross out an alternative thought that it was his way of impersonating a villain because right now, my dearest friend wasn’t enabling my cowardice at all. He was supposed to agree wholeheartedly with me and suggest I spend the evening secluded quietly in my apartment with a delicious glass of wine and a book.
“I still think you made that up, Maxwell. I’m sure if you tried hard enough, you could leave and go haunt Willow over at Coffee Haven. You know . . . expand your horizons and all.”
A look of horror and disapproval blazed across his ghostly features.
Did I forget to mention Maxwell was a ghost?
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you suggest that, young lady. Do you really think I’d stay here and witness your weekly neurotic diatribe about the woes of dating if I could simply waltz out of here?”

You can read more about Maxwell when Nowhere To Hide (A Havenwood Falls novella) releases March 23, 2018!

For more information, you can visit: www.havenwoodfalls.com

#Rambling - A Little Lost For Words ...

I’m a little lost for words today. Some may see this as a worn out wallet, the design fading. This is my father-in-law’s wallet and I wish he was alive for me to tell him how much this means to me.

I miss him. I’m grateful that we had a chance to welcome him into our home and provide him with a safe place to call his own. He often said that it was the best he had felt in years and I miss our daily conversations.

I wasn’t always close with him. Things had happened in the past that had upset me so we didn’t talk for a long time. That’s why when I saw his wallet today - this wallet - it hit me. I gave him this wallet. That design is over the Sydney Opera House. It being well worn means he used it a lot. And I can’t help but think every time he pulled it out of his pocket, he thought of me. Whether it was to offer a prayer or a thought, he loved me ... even when I let hurt feelings get in the way of things.

This wallet means the world to me. It’s become that symbol of love - that he never stopped. Whenever I come in to talk with my mother-in-law, I see it and hold it tight.

Don’t wait too long to make peace with others.
Don’t stop telling those around you how much you love them.
Don’t miss opportunities to heal.

I miss my father-in-law so much. I’ve struggled the past few months between denial that he’s gone and sadness that I can’t pretend anymore. I wish I could have just one more conversation, one more hug, one more night of watching the Diamondbacks play and laughing at him yelling at the TV.

I miss the fact I didn’t know about his wallet. I would’ve told him how much it touched my heart and thank him for loving me. He’ll always be my Popperoni.

❤️❤️

#TeaserTuesday - Nowhere To Hide

#TeaserTuesday #ComingSoon

Eep! March 23rd is right around the corner and soon you'll all meet Micah and Sedona! Are you ready for some SWOON #HavenwoodFalls style? I seriously love this story and this town!

Micah leaned in, placing his forehead against mine, our noses barely touching. “I didn’t expect to find you, Sedona.” His warm breath fanned across my lips.

“Yet here we are.”

He leaned in again, whispering against my mouth, “I guess this changes everything.”

#OneClick to Preorder:

Amazon US: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zon

Amazon UK: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-zonuk

iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/nth-ib

#FanGirlDown - That One Time They Touched My Book!

#FanGirlDown

I seriously have such a deep love and appreciation for Supernatural - both the show, characters, AND the people behind them! I've been lucky to attend conventions and work them, and this photo op is from the recent Las Vegas SPN Con! I couldn't resist!

I have SO much love for this photo. I like to have one with the muse from my stories, and this photo holds THREE! Obviously with Jensen in the middle holding a little guitar and Misha holding Bittersweet Melody, this is a shout out to my beloved Cooper Hensley!  I'm not going to lie ... I DIE every time I look at this because when I see Jensen, I see my character. You've also got Misha who is my muse for Sullivan Kilgrave in Blood Oath, and Jared . . . he's a muse for a future book! #coming2019

There's a story behind this photo op too that cracks me up! We all posed (although WHY I'm pulling that face I have no idea! Perhaps I should've licked Jensen? I blame it on being soooo freaking close to Misha! #blamethemusk hahaha) 

Misha: Look, Jensen. This book’s about you. *shows him the book*
Jensen: Of course it is. *touches the cover*
Jared: No, it’s about me!
Laura: Yours is coming. She’s doing a story about you next.
Jared: Really? 

Of course, I am desperately trying to remember how to breathe! The night before, Jensen had performed Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi with Corey Taylor from SlipKnot at the Saturday Night Concert, and GOOD. FREAKING. CHUCK ... if you've never seen that man sing ... GO TO YOUTUBE NOW! Actually, here's you go ... you're welcome!