黑料不打烊

University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith alumna Brooke Devine, '17, recently published her second book, 鈥�Love Stays the Same.鈥� The book is described as a heartwarming journey following a young boy as he adjusts to life with a new baby sister.

Originally from Charleston, Arkansas, Devine's love for writing began in childhood. She filled notebooks with stories and refined her craft throughout middle school, high school, and college. While Devine pursued a degree in animation technology, she continued to develop her skills and hone her voice through creative writing courses. Devine said creative writing was a passion that showed her the value of storytelling.

Outside of work, Devine continues to dedicate herself to writing. Her newest book, published in December 2024, is the latest milestone in a lifelong storytelling journey and showcases her background in animation with digital illustrations.

 Inspired by her son, Noah, the book explores his experience navigating life and the big feelings that come with a new baby sister.

鈥淵ou're Macie鈥檚 mom now,鈥� Devine recalled Noah telling her in the early days of becoming a big brother.

Having explained that she loved Noah just the same, Devine took her message to where Noah listens best: Storytime.

Like his mother, Noah does not lack imagination. No matter how fantastical, the books they read before bed carried significant weight in his world. After putting pen to paper, Devine introduced an early draft of 鈥淟ove Stays the Same鈥� to Noah during their nighttime ritual and saw the message become more tangible.

"Mom, it's me!鈥� he exclaimed, seeing his name in the story.

Devine said the story allowed Noah to feel seen, affirmed his feelings, and assured him that his parents鈥� love was steadfast.

Devine realized that what she鈥檇 created was powerful.

鈥淚t's something that I know other moms, dads, and caregivers deal with,鈥� Devine said as she described what drove her to publish the book. 鈥淜ids don't always listen to what mom, dad, and grandma have to say. But if they're reading about someone getting to make those connections themselves, it's relatable.鈥�

Publishing a book is no simple feat. Devine extensively researched the pros and cons of self-publishing versus working with a publishing house and decided that self-publishing would offer her the flexibility she needed. Self-publishing her first book 鈥� 鈥淏eneath the Surface: Echoes of a Mother鈥檚 Heart,鈥� a poetry collection 鈥� earned enough to allow her to publish and distribute physical copies of 鈥淟ove Stays the Same.鈥�

She credits her time at 黑料不打烊 for helping her develop the discipline and confidence to pursue writing seriously. More specifically, she thanks Dr. Christian Gerard for intentionally exposing students to different authors from various backgrounds and for always making writing fun.

With two published books, Devine hopes to continue sharing stories that resonate with readers while balancing her career and creative pursuits. However, don鈥檛 get used to seeing Devine in any one genre鈥攅specially children鈥檚 books. She explained that 鈥淟ove Stays the Same鈥� was a unique passion project, and she plans to continue exploring other genres and accomplishing what feels authentic as an author.

鈥淟ove Stays the Same鈥� and Devine鈥檚 poetry collection are available on under her name. Be on the lookout this summer for another Devine book, this one full of holiday cheer.