Being sick officially sucks.

Hey out there. I've been out of commission for several days due to influenza. I can honestly say that I can not recall ever being this sick in my life. Normally, I feel yucky, take Nyquil, and then I'm fine. Apparently that is not how flu works. Nothing really helps. My fever hangs around 99.0 - 99.8; nothing too bad yet just enough to make every bit of my body ache. Very annoying. My cough is dry and scratchy and tends to burn if I hack too much at once. Thankfully, the doctor gave me cough medicine with codeine, which has eased the coughing considerably. I take Advil for the joint pain but it does nothing for the fever. This is the first day since probably Tuesday that I can think clearly. There is nothing more frustrating than being home, in bed, with TIME to write, yet being to sick to think. And a couple of those days it was exhausting to sit up!

Sweating is the key, I think. (This is information for those out there who are under the inFLUence as well.) haha. Don't do anything!! Sleep. Get about 200 blankets and wear a sweatshirt to bed. Make your body sweat. Drink water. and drink tea. About the tea... I was drinking green tea because I looked online and somewhere it said green tea was recommended for a cold. With honey and lemon to soothe the throat. Ok. I hate green tea. I don't really like the flavor but I thought, "What the heck." I think I had  two cups of it and then my body decided it didn't like it either. I threw up. I went back to bed. (This is Friday morning.) I got back up and I was making myself something to eat. I think I was on my feet too long, because I hadn't really gotten up much at all, and I feel lightheaded, I got some tea and sat down to drink it. I had taken my sweatshirt off because the sleeves where getting in the way and my temperature went down to 97.3. I didn't feel so hot and not long after that I passed out. Literally. Not like I laid down and fell asleep. I went to the bathroom because I thought I'd throw up, and instead I got the tingling warm sensation of impending doom. I am not a stranger to passing out. I know what it feels like. I got down on the floor before I fell onto the floor and I was out. Not long, but long enough to know it happened. Then, in another few minutes, my last cup of green tea was expelled. No more green tea for me!

My friend came over because she didn't like me being in the house alone after I told her I passed out. (Not sure why that bothered her.) She gave me chamomile tea because it is better to soothe the stomach. She was right. I haven't thrown up since. So I've been drinking little cups of pink tea -- that's right, it's pink-- and my throat doesn't feel as scratchy and I haven't thrown up. I still feel exhausted. Getting out of bed makes me tired. BUT, I also haven't eaten much. I guess it is the flu, but I have no appetite. This morning I had like a miniscule amount of energy to go get my computer and crawl back in bed. My brain is functioning enough to write a blog entry, so maybe I can write today. That would be awesome.

Not sure what else to say about all that.

On a different note, my publisher sent me a link to another review I hadn't seen. I'm pretty sure Shirley put this review on Goodreads, but here is the review that is on her review site. Go visit it when you have time and see what other books she likes :)

Rating: 4.25 stars

Published: December 31st, 2012

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Available at: Dreamspinner, Amazon,Barnes & Noble

Review: After a week and a half of debating what to say or not say about this book, here I go.
I liked this book. A lot. Maybe not as much as I was expecting, but I was so looking forward to this story and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. It was different, but not enough to stop me from reading it.
I liked Cole – he felt real. He had his issues (big and small) but he wanted to be accepted and loved for who he was was. Socially awkward and cynical to boot, he didn’t think he would ever find that special someone. He was so happy in his own little world of pristine floors, neuron and protons, that when he was faced with a new roommate he felt like his world was tuning on its axis. And then to find that his roommate was a jock? Well that justturned his life upside down.
In comes Ellis. A handsome jock, he was uncertain about his sexuality and moving in with Cole didn’t help matters. He was drawn to him, exasperated by him and just confused. They developed a friendship of sorts based on acceptance and mutual understanding. Until the kiss. That kiss that made Cole’s heart skip a beat and took their friendship that one step closer to an emotional connection.
I enjoy Wade Kelly’s writing. Be it a reading blog post or his debut novel,When Love is Not Enough, he always manages to keep me entertained. This book was no different. Not exactly the what I was expecting, but like I said before not a disappointment. To me it felt more like one of Wade’s blog post. Honest, funny and with an underlying message. While WLINE was dark and angsty, this book was funny and with an understated sense of drama that kept me reading from start to finish with just a minor break when real life showed its ugly head.

I was thoroughly into these characters. I enjoyed both the main and the secondary characters, even if I felt that Mike ‘s POV and his story should have had a lesser role in this book. I appreciated what he brought to the story in the overall resolution to the conflict, but I think that his POV and his actions should would have made a great short story to add to the book lineup. Other than that, I think the secondary characters added beautifully to the story. I especially enjoyed Rob and Russell’s voice and what they added to the overall story. I think there’s great potential there for a meaningful story and I hope Wade finds the time to write it.
Filled with sarcastic humor, insightful moments, adorable characters and an underlying message of acceptance, My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! was a treat to read. I am already a fan of Wade Kelly and I can’t wait for his next book to be released.
No pressure Wade, no pressure at all! But if you could just edit The Cost of Loving a little bit faster I would truly appreciate it. Thanks

http://shirleyfrancesbooksandmore.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/my-roommates-a-jock-well-crap-by-wade-kelly/

That is all I got for now. I'm alive, just moving slow.

Wade

Remember:  Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

2011 vs. 1939

I had a conversation over the weekend with a friend / reader / fan, in which we referenced a movie called Dark Victory. Has anyone out there heard of it? It stars Bette Davis in one of her best roles (in my opinion), yet this movie is lesser known than say, “Now, Voyager.” The question is: WHY? It is an outstanding film. My friend brought up some interesting facts about the year it came out. 1939. What other films came out in 1939 that would have out shined Dark Victory? Um, a little film called Gone With The Wind! It won best picture that year and beat out another film, which won an award for “best original song”. Can you guess it? The Wizard of Oz. Gone With the Wind received ten academy awards and totally outshined everything that was produced that year. The Wizard of Oz gained popularity over time, because initially it didn’t do as well in the box office as anticipated. (This is my paraphrase from Wikipedia.) Consequently, Dark Victory didn’t do so well at the Academy Awards. Although nominated, it lost.

Bette Davis was up for best actress and lost to Vivian Leigh. Up for best picture, and lost to Gone With the Wind. Up for best score, and lost to The Wizard of Oz. Was it disappointing at the time? Probably. But fans of Bette Davis would still love her for it, Academy award or not. My thought is that they can look back and say, “I was nominated, but I lost to Gone With the Wind!” That is an accomplishment in itself.

Why do I say all this? Well, for one I like Bette Davis films. Two, I always go back to talking about myself. lol.

When Love is Not Enough came out in 2011. Being the conceited person that I am I have to say it is a kick-ass book that will tear your heart out. (Note: This is backed up by many readers who agree with me, so I’m not talking out of thin air. For some, this is true to form.) Anyway, When Love is Not Enough was a great book. It has depth, it has memorable characters, and it leaves many readers feeling drained emotionally because of the content. So, my question is (because I always ponder things about my own books,) why is it not read more? Why is it overlooked and set to the side in lieu of readers picking something else to read?

Here is where I tie in my movie references…

What else came out in 2011? Caregiver by Rick R. Reed, and Bear, Otter, and The Kid by TJ Klune! Oh good golly, I should be happy people read my book at all! WLINE is like Dark Victory in comparison to Gone with the Wind. Outdone, outshined, and out awarded by the other two. I read on Facebook that Caregiver won an EPIC eBook award. Well deserved, I’m sure. I haven’t read it yet. I have the paperback on my shelf and might one day meet Rick and have him sign it. I am sure though, I will sob like a baby. It is said to be a WONDERFUL NOVEL. Rick Reed is an outstanding author so I have no doubt it is. Should I be upset that Caregiver stole the show? No. If anything I should gain inspiration that one day I can be seen as Rick Reed’s contemporary. (Did I use the term correctly? I meant it in reference to publishing books in the same timeframe/year.) Of course, Rick is also on another level than me; he’s multi-published and for years. My truer contemporary is TJ Klune. (otherwise known to me as the Wizard of Oz.)

*Note. I do not intend any mocking, or ill will by these references.

Mr. Klune stole “best score” because he deserved it. And Mr. Reed took “Best Picture of the year” because he earned it. I can not blame them for out-shining me, but I can look to be inspired by their brilliance. If it was not for competition we would never be driven to improve, correct?

 *and I use the word “competition” not in the truest definition but metaphorically. I believe that readers can out-read ANY author’s ability to write, therefore we are a collective whole, like a hive. (–reference to the Borg.) Writers need each other to survive, as much as we spur each other on to improve and learn and grow. (Make sense?) Anyway…

To me, Mr. Klune and Mr. Reed are icons of success and an inspiration for my little ol’ “Dark Victory” to grasp at. I’m trying. I plug away, and over time, When Love Is Not Enough is gaining more support and readership. (I thank you all for that.) I was nominated for “Best Tearjerker with a happy Ending” and lost out to Bear, Otter, and The Kid in the M/M Romance Choice Awards. But I was nominated!

Soon, I will be going to GRL, and who might be there? Um, TJ Klune. How intimidating is that? I can see myself hiding behind a plant in the lobby and ducking when he turns around. Lol.

I’m writing today. I need to produce more. I am not as fast as other authors, to my detriment. But, I hope the wait will be worth while. I’ll keep you updated on the sequel. Until then…

Laterz,

Wade

Repeating myself: Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Coming out of my shell

Over the last few years I've been in hiding. Kind of like a hermit, but one that was stalked into seclusion for fear of public persecution. Although I tend to talk about myself all the time, I talk about my writing, not my personal details. But if you read my books, trust me you know me. Anyway... I shut people off for years because of my "stalker" and I didn't trust anyone. After all, this "stalker" was someone I'd known for years. YEARS! And this person did hurtful things to me because of something I wrote. They corroborated with another mutual friend who "had plenty of time to kill," I was told, and that man researched and googled and dug up dirt. (Like I have dirt.) My initial reaction, besides fear, was to think "why the hell am I that special that I am researched on the internet?" I am not a town leader. I'm not the president. I am not even a principle of a high school. I am an ordinary person. This was 2010. It was a very hard year. I can not go into detail because if said "person/stalker" is still out there, they might be searching the internet as I type this. IDK. I was shocked and caught off guard the first time, who's to say it wouldn't happen again?

So, to keep myself and those I love in my life safe, I hid. There is a Barenaked Ladies song that says, "If I hide myself wherever I go, am I ever really there?" Well, I've been doing just that. When someone you know seeks to be hurtful and damaging to you and your family etc., it is hard to then BE YOURSELF. "Myself" was unacceptable to the public. "Myself" was said to be "unChristian like". And "myself" was not what was good for the community. I saw a therapist because of this and she told me I had been attacked. This was a verbal attack. The couple people that were out to "cleanse the church" of my damaging presence and influence had hurt me, but the therapist assured me it was not my fault. I knew this, but it still feels good to have that affirmation.

Something good came out of it. I wrote WLINE. I was in pain, and hurt, and scared, so I poured out my feelings on paper. (Notebook and computer.) This book has not made a movie like Stephanie Meyer, but it HAS touched the hearts of people who identify with it. Jimmy Miller committed suicide. Suicide is the ultimate release of pain, suffering and depression for someone who doesn't know where to go with that pain. It is the edge. Real despair is out there. What I feel I am called to do is write about it. I felt that pain to a small degree and it was awful. What about those who are not as strong, or those who have no one to turn to? Suicide becomes a real reality. I would not wan that for anyone.

So, in these last three years, I have been healing emotionally from what people have done and said about me. The sequel to WLINE, The Cost of Loving, is a personal journey of church persecution told through Matt Dixon's life. It is a parallel, not an autobiography. I took it from my experience, but it is fiction. Point being, if you read it, it is how I felt in 2010 expressed through Matt, his dad, his mom, and his lover. I have always said my characters are ME. Well, they are.

I am in the process of writing the conclusion of that time of my life. Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. I am writing it because that is where I am in my life. I am learning to trust, and I am learning to live. Darian is my broken "self" and the expression of where my life is heading. I hope to finish it by the end of April.

Yesterday, I branched out and talked to a "fan" / reader for the first time about "me". It felt very freeing. I am learning to be myself again and I like that. GRL will be fun because I will be able to be myself in public. In that regard, who is going? Comments? I only know the list of autors that is going from the list on the retreat page. What other authors are going? (Besides me.) comment. I'd like to know who I might see there.

More on me coming. One step at a time.

Wade

The LONGEST wait in history is over.

After the longest wait I have ever had, and several rejections in between, The Cost of Loving (TCOL) was finally accepted at Dreamspinner Press. I am thrilled that it will have a publishing home next to When Love is Not Enough (WLINE). I would have been fine self-publishing, and I am ready to go with that for the next one if something I write gets rejected, but conventional publishing is better I think. The pluses are that I get better exposure and all forms of the book are available at the same time. (As apposed to Create Space where is it Kindle only for 90 days.) The down side is that you have to wait. But at least this time the wait has an end. August/September (ish) is the projected release date barring any setbacks in editing and stuff.

And the cover will remain the same! That was a big concern of mine because I love it so much, but luckily they liked it too. Thank You Enny Kraft for creating one so awesome! Book three’s cover is also perfect and I will reveal it in a few months, maybe July. The blurb will get listed after I finish writing it. I am currently working on Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. (LTLTA) I know this is a long title but I believe it fits the book. This book is about Darian. His life, his struggles, and becoming the person that he is. He has gone through a lot. And I think the cover fits it perfectly too. Will this one get published this year? IDK. I hope to finish the first draft by the end of April. Submission will depend on how long it takes to edit it. If I hire my editor, she may take months :S So, IDK. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

As far as my current books go, they are all selling because I can see that on my Dreamspinner page, but how well they are selling—IDK. Both paperback and eBook are selling which is wonderful because if readers are buying them, my publisher will be happy! I like happy publishers!

Reviews: Goodreads has the most reader reviews lists for my books. “Jock” has 601 at the moment and WLINE has 230 listed. I can’t always see them, I don’t know why. I like to read what people say, but I’ve noticed that when I scroll to find the newest (and yes, I’ve hit the “newest” button) I’ve seen them already and yet the # of ratings went up. Odd, but whatever. If I missed yours, sorry. I tried. I also have a number of reviews on Amazon and ARe. Reviews on those popular sites are cool because not everyone belongs to Goodreads but loads of people troll Amazon! So, feel free to list one there J

I’m not sure what else I can say at the moment. Sit tight, the next Wade Kelly book will be on its way soon! And I will be / am writing MORE!!!

Repeating myself: Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Thanks for everything. Thanks for believing in me.

Wade J

PS: The "feed" that brings my blog post over to Goodreads is way behind. Sorry about that. I don't know how to fix it. I blogged on Monday and it is still not on the Goodreads post. Odd.

True to the "Wade Kelly" form....

I feel like I have accomplished a whole lot with regard to the 3^rd book in my Unconditional Love series. Book 3, Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again, is about Darian. (You all know this.) But I was having trouble figuring out HOW to tell the tale and not recap everything that happens in book 1 & 2 by flipping the info around to see it from Darian’s POV. Not really where I wanted to go. However, to understand Darian you have to read his life from the beginning. How do I do that and not keep you waiting until page 7000 to know what happens after the last chapter of TCOL? Hahha. (Because I couldn’t be that cruel, muahhahaha.)

Well, I think I figured it out. Over the weekend I came up with a structure for this novel that I think is consistent with the other two, yet different on its own. Can it be read as a “stand alone”? Probably. I tried to write TCOL as a “stand alone”, yet it would be better to read after WLINE. LTLTA is the same basic concept. You CAN read it 1^st, but you won’t want to. It has dates for reference—I wouldn’t want to confuse people too much while they read. I am using my nifty timeline and making sure the facts fit the dates. As of right now, I have 16,322 words. I wrote about 2k over the weekend. It is on several word docs so the count is confusing at times. I found it easier to open another document and write the scene in my head rather than figure out where in the story it fits. Why? Haha, this is not a chronological read.

Questions you may ask: Does it have annoying POV shifts, you ask? No, not really. I am trying to keep them to a minimum. What about time-jumps and flashbacks? Yes, I have those!!! As is true to my style of writing, I weave the past and the present, and unfold my tale in an unconventional manner. TCOL is probably the most chronologically consistent book I’ve written. (Maybe. “Jock” was mostly chronological.)

What I learn through blogging about my thoughts on writing, and what I learn from readers of the few things I have published, is that opinions vary! LOL, imagine that!!! There are those who hate the over use of exclamation points, and those who yell, “Bring them on!” There are those who like POV shifts, saying they give the readers a look into another character’s head, and those who hate them with a passion. There are readers who like flashbacks at random moments, and those who’d rather take the action one event at a time, in sequential order. There are readers who like lots of sex in a book, and those who’d rather go without it. There are those who like reading a sequel about the same characters, and readers who want to read about someone new. What does this all tell me—the writer—about what I should write? Nothing, and everything. It tells me I can’t please everyone all the time. I will please some, sometimes, and therefore I can not write to please the audience.

I am voicing thoughts here for those out there who are future writers and those who just like to hear me ramble…

I have learned I need to write for myself. For the most part. When writing, the author needs to think of the audience. If I have NO audience besides myself, then I can not think to publish things. Publishers what to know who the audience is. They want to know genre and age group (for the most part). So, I CAN write for myself, but it is to my benefit to write to a specific audience as well. Who reads M/M romance? Some gay men, and MANY straight women. A rather large audience so I’m fine there. Haha. It is good to know what is popular and selling the most, but I have also seen that some people like to read something NEW. In this area, I find I can write for myself. I want to write, what I want to write. If I totally give in and write the “popular” stuff, then I end up being just like everyone else. I don’t want to be. I want to find my own voice, and my own readership that likes my style. That’s the dream, isn’t it? (Writing whatever you want and people will read it.) I can’t assume that will hold true if I publish crap. I’m trying not to. I know I need to improve on editing and learning proper grammar etc. Are there grammar police out there who would like to beta-read my next one? (comment below.)

So, basically, I write what I feel, I know what I know, I write what I think others need to hear, and I write from my experience (or the experiences I have witnessed.) Most things though, are taken from my life in one way or another. TCOL especially has loads of scenes from the reality that is my life, but written into the life of Matt Dixon. When TCOL come out, I’ll talk and blog more on the content in the novel.

It has been almost 5 weeks since I submitted TCOL one last time. Are your fingers crossed? How about your toes? Tongue? I need all the well wishes you can send. Please. Pretty please.

Timeframe, in a PERFECT world… (perfect being the one where the publisher wants TCOL because then ALL forms of the books actually come out at once and I get decent exposure.) … TCOL would come out ASAP. (LOL) And after that, LTLTA would come out in September. (Before the conference.) This would mean I need to write and finish LTLTA as fast as I can—hopefully by the end of April. I don’t know if that is all possible, but I’m picturing the perfect world. (I’m a dreamer, remember?)

Non-perfect world… Publisher rejects it. THEN, I would self-publish TCOL as soon as possible because it would be only available in Kindle for 90 days. I would write LTLTA with enough time to publish it by June sometime, so that paperback (and eBook other than Kindle) is available by late September or October. (Before the conference in Atlanta.)

And what do you lovely readers think of that? Do I dream too big? Can this happen?

I think it can, I think it can, I think it can….

Repeating myself: Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Read my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Thanks.

Your grateful servant,

~Wade J

FYI: acronyms: WLINE (When Love is Not Enough), TCOL (The Cost of Loving), LTLTA (Love, Trust, And Learning to Live Again), "Jock" (not an acronym) My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap!

Apologies to the grammar police.

Recently I've been trying to write, but in order to do that I have to read first. I am working on Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. (LTLTA) This is book 3 in the Unconditional Love series. My desire is to make it the best of all three. (I wish.) It is a complex book (for me) to write, and I am taking into consideration the first two. (Obviously.) I was making a "timeline" this week to make sure dates and events actually line up. I have dates scribbled everywhere in notebooks, but I think having events all on ONE sheet helps. Especially when I have multiple books and several characters that need to fit into the same line because they are in each other's lives. Ages, events, etc... I am about half-way done.

As I said, I was reading. When Love is Not Enough (WLINE) to be specific. It is so distracting. I am TRYING to write down dates, not read every word. Sometimes, however, I can't help but keep reading. I love this story. And the POV shifts that some people dislike, just make it that much better for me. I like them. :p Something that DID catch my attention as I read which I would like to apologize for is my over use of exclamation points. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I find them everywhere! Oh! My! Gosh!! Could I BE any more emphatic? I get it, people. I get it. Finally!!!! I find myself reading along and BAM! exclamation point. Read more- BAM!- exclamation point-- AGAIN. I think that I automatically hit that button. Like now, as I blog, how many have I used already? It is a habit in texting too. I hit about three at a time. !!! I cant hit one in a text. Lol. That would be mundane, ordinary, and like everyone else. But how do I stop? I think I have an exclamation point fetish or addiction. I can't stop putting them in!

What I found myself doing was a mental edit every time I read one in WLINE. I thought, "Yeah, that one shouldn't be there. Nope, neither should that one." I Even spotted several places where I should have had commas. That said, I have not reread "Jock" yet and I am 99% sure that one is worse. Ellis and Cole need to fit into my timeline so I will be re-perusing that novel soon. Darian went to the same HS as Ellis and is older brother Ben. And he is friends with Ellis's sister Sara. I am making sure ages fit and WHEN events happened. I hate making mistakes in details like that.

So, I am sorry for my addiction. I guess I love the exclamation point, but I don't respect it. I need to care for it, but I abuse it. I'm sorry. I try very hard to get apostrophes correct. Like above with Ellis's. I know it should be Ellis', but DSP wanted it to be Ellis's in the book. I think they follow a standard in the Chicago Manual of Style so I understand consistency. I also have a problem with commas. As many time as I overuse exclamation points and need to edit and take them out, I UNDERUSE commas and need to add them in. I don;t think I use them at all as I write. If you see them, it is because an editor put them in, most likely. I forget to use them. I told you I suck at grammar!

Names Can Never Hurt Me is on hold as I write LTLTA. I think I'd like to have this one finished in case the publisher that is considering The Cost of Loving (TCOL) actually wants it. You never know. My DREAM would be publishing these two before the GRL retreat in October. I like to dream big! But just imagine, LTLTA coming out in September and I could sign it in October at the retreat for people. That would be cool. Of course, that would only be if people approach me, I can't solicit for myself because I am not a featured author. I can't stop fans from talking to me. I am not bringing books to give out, or other swag because I am not allowed. I might have a pen (or ten) in my pocket... hahaha.  As I say, I dream big.

Not loads of actual writing has been done recently, but that is because I'm thinking of scenes and doing the timeline and thinking of what to put into it and what to leave out. I do not want to recap WLINE from Darian's POV, that is not my goal. I think some parts will overlap so readers can see where Darian comes from, how Jamie's death affects him, and then where it picks up his life after TCOL. (Which I hope to hear about soon!) I would release a "blurb" for LTLTA, but I was trying to wait for TCOL to be released.

Anyway... If you read My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! --thank you. If you read When Love is Not Enough -- thank you! If you want more of my books published -- pray! Some of it is out of my control. I am writing. I will finish at least two novels this year. I'd love to have at least two novels published this year and possibly one submitted to carryover to publish next year. Things take time, and often my timeframe is NOT the timeframe that happens. grrr.

Hugs and gratitude to all my fans, readers, and followers. I NEED you all! And I noticed that on my Dreamspinner Press page, both of my books are selling in eBook and paperback forms!!! That is awesome. Nothing like sales to tell a publisher that they need to sign contracts on more of an author's stuff. No sales=no contracts. Ya know? So, thank you very much!

Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook (405 likes so far), add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes ;)

** Wade **

PS: And tell me if my punctuation in this sentence is correct. lol

GayRomLit Retreat

So, what is the GayRomLit Retreat? I don't know, I've never been. I think there was a retreat in Albuquerque, NM last year, not sure, but I didn't attend that one, I only heard some things about it. I've been to the Rainbow book fair in NY before. That was fun. In NY I wasn't walking around waving a sign that said "Wade Kelly over here" so you would not have known I was there poking around. hahaha. For this one, in Atlanta, I am registered! I will have a badge that says Wade Kelly. I will also blog again about this event when it gets closer to it. Right now, it is March! The retreat is in OCTOBER!!! October, people, way too far ahead for me to think about it, but I did put my mind into it enough to register. Which was a good thing since there are limited people allowed to go. Like 400 or something. When I signed on it said 55 spots left. I think they are going fast. If you are planing on attending, I suggest you register.

There is also a lot of talk on FB about this retreat. Good, bad, ugly??? IDK. I try not to pay attention to anything. FB bugs the ____ out of me half the time. People are always messing with other people and I don't like it. I log on, I poke around any messages I might have that are for moi, I post stuff about moi, and then I bugger off. WHY? I don't like getting caught up in crap. There is no point. I will be at this retreat. That said... there is a note on the GRL website:

I am a rule-follower. I might sign a book if you have one, and I might have a card to hand you (or a pen) but I am not signed up as a "featured author" therefore I will not have a table, and I will not be handing out promo-stuff. I might just wear my "Protons have Pride" T-shirt and be done with it. IDK. Or I could get one printed that says Wade Kelly Rocks! (hahaha) As for now, I do not plan on taking anything but me. (And a friend) If you know you are going, leave a comment. Let me know. As I said, I will blog about this later on when it is nearer to October. But as of right now, I have a room, and I have registered as a general attendee. (me and a friend, even though I do not know which friend I am taking.)

Between now and then, I NEED TO PUBLISH MORE BOOKS!!! Good golly I do! Not having many out is frustrating when I have fans screaming for more! LOL Funny that that would be a problem. It isn't, I just feel bad that things take so darn long! I'm sorry!

I haven't listed very many reviews. I should. I need people to think about reading my stuff if they haven't yet. I think people like my writing. These are listed on All Romance eBooks:

Reader Reviews (5)

Submitted By: mommakat49 on Mar 7, 2013

A great story!

Submitted By: laney on Jan 29, 2013

The title draws you in. The characters are fantatic, I loved Cole and his difficult personality and Ellis with his patience. But the secondary characters were just as strong. I really hope there is a sequel.

Submitted By: Starry Eyed on Jan 10, 2013

This is a fun book, I loved Cole and all his insecurities and sarcasm and was happy that Ellis came into his life. It was a good mesh and Ellis' innocent and his dealing with his feelings was sweet. But here was plenty of hotness between the two. I also wonder if their two straight friends Rob and Russ are hiding some secret feelings...I can only hope for a sequel.

Submitted By: Vampire66 on Jan 5, 2013

I loved this book!!! Cole is so funny, the little side comments he makes give this story just the right amount of humor. The way the author takes the sterotypical jock and gives him not Only a personality but a brain as well is refreshing . This is a must read it teaches you that sometimes you really don't know who your friends are and aren't. Good book.

If you haven't listed a review there, can I encourage you to? IDK. Do people read them? I do sometimes. I am more apt to read reviews on Amazon, or GR.

I'm off again.... gotta write more!!!! Never enough!

Laterz,

W

xoxox

I don't measure up

Have you ever felt like that? I feel it all the time. I'm inexperienced, un-higher-educated, and I lack the communication skills necessary to deliver an award-winner, knock-your-socks-off novel (that of course someone will want to make a movie out of.) I dream too big, and my reach falls short. My glass is always half-empty. Then...

I get an e-mail like this: You ruined me! I read When Love is not Enough and ever since I finished it I can't read anything else!  Nothing interests me!  I must have 50 books on my kindle still to read and I start one and then just go back to WLINE. 

I got this at just the right time because I was feeling inadequate, uninspired, and deflated. I had hit a roadblock. I was writing Names Can Never Hurt Me and I was going strong when this feeling of dread hit, like it was somehow a boring story. I don't want to be boring. The answer isn't always "add more action" because sometimes the story doesn't include a car accident or a random shooting. How do I add "action" to a true to life account of a person's day-to-day existence? Nick's struggle is identity related. (this is rhetorical) I didn't know how to carry the story. I have some ideas but lacked the time to write them this week.

Bummed, I picked up The Locker Room and reread it. Dumb idea! I will NEVER write as good as Amy Lane. Her attention to detail blows me away. Then I thought, "I can't write like that!" How do I expect to get anywhere when there are writers that just do it perfectly?

That e-mail came at the right time because it got me thinking about WLINE... When Love is Not Enough for those unfamiliar with my acronym. (Sadly, I even doubt my usage of the word acronym like I used it wrong.) Thinking about WLINE, and then the sequel which is still with a publisher for consideration, led me to think of book 3, and Darian! Darian is the focus of book 3. LTLTA... Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. Darian's story has been sitting for a while now at 14k. I think I have been totally inspired to pick it up, set "Names" aside, and write the emotionally gripping story of my most broken character!

So thank you, reader, for taking the time to e-mail me. I need encouragement sometimes because this writing business is hard. Too many good writers to count and I feel all too often how much I do not measure up.

All for now, I gotta go!

Have a great weekend.

Wade

Facebook needs a serious kick in the a**

I have been agitated for a while about Facebook and the constant “adjustments” it makes to supposedly make my experience better. Well, it’s not! It is weird and a little creepy that the opening message on my page is  “Hello, Wade. How are you today?” Although right now it reads, “What’s on your mind?”

Dear Facebook,

Do you want to know what is on my mind? I am pissed off that you dare intrude on my personal messages and delete them before I get to actually READ them!!!!

*makes an obscene gesture*

~Wade Kelly

I get that some “content” posted is labeled as questionable, or unsuitable. Although I don’t like being censored, I understand to some degree the need to block or delete pictures of nude men/women and explicit sexual acts. Ok, I get that. This is a public social network. And I guess “big brother” can’t stand the human body. BUT…. I draw the line at deleting messages from my PRIVATE MESSAGEING INBOX before I even see them! WTF? Example:

I get a message… I get an e-mail telling me I have one on FB. I open it and it says, "This message is no longer available because it was identified as abusive or marked as spam."

I was pissed! I didn’t identify it as abusive! It’s MY MAIL!!!

Of course, as MY LUCK has it, as I write this blog post, my messages all reappear. Maybe it was a “glitch” in the system. IDK. But it really irritated me. Sometimes I think I will do away with Facebook all together, but where is another social network to meet people with similar interests? IDK. Another thing that get irritating is the question that come up “Do you know this person outside of Facebook?” when I am accepting a friend request.

I know this has to be linked to stalkers and perverted abusers that prey on little children, right? Please tell me that it has to do with protecting innocent kids. But that said, I’m an adult! I have the right to accept friend requests from ANYONE I want. If I accepted friend requests ONLY from people I knew outside of FB I would have 10 friends and my reason to be on facebook to begin with would be over. AND…. AND… What really ticks me off is that the same social network that wants to put me in jail for accepting requests from people I don’t know, constantly tells me, “You may know these people”. And don’t EVEN let me “friend request” more than like ten people in a week! I’ve given up. People “request” me, and I do not request from anyone because I always get sent to “jail” for doing it.

So what is to be done? I DON’T KNOW!!! Personally, I like Goodreads.com I connect with people who have a similar interest in reading. I am a writer, I want to meet readers! Twitter is also good for connecting (somewhat) to other authors, I just need to get better at “tweeting”.

I think I’m done.

And I gave in, I have a Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/writerwadekelly/

laterz,

Wade