I’m on the Kage Alan Show!

Notice how I treated it like a night show? Late Night With Kage Alan. (*uses announcer voice* Haha) I do find his posts inspirational, humorous, silly, insightful, and anywhere in between. He writes about so many things. And, as you know, Kage also hosts guest posts by people like ME. So, I am featured tomorrow on his running series on The Face Of Gay.  Be there! August 3^rd, Kage Alan.

The Face Of Gay.

I thought about this topic and decided to throw in MY two cents on it. As I see it, the “face of gay” is about progression, change, and challenge.

I write way more on that in my post on Kage’s Blog so PLEASE drop by and read it. Leave a comment. I will try to post replies as soon as I can. I love to talk to people especially about cultural tendencies. 

But another big thing Saturday, is that I will be attending the OutWrite LGBT Book Festival in DC. So, if you are around, stop by Dreamspinner. I’ll be lurking. I haven’t decided which shirt to wear, but I think I’m going with “Pretending to be a pleasant person all day is exhausting.” Most people like that shirt anyway. (It’s gray.) And if we are friends on Facebook, I DO have a picture of myself posted in a private album. I will add people upon request if you are not already included. I have 1700 “friends” and I am working on revealing my identity slowly. (I’m still a tad guarded.)

I DID open up about myself and what I write to some friends this week. I have heard back from them and the response was shocked, but also supportive. Maybe my views are too radical for people in my town? IDK. I hope not. But they were not condemning by any means. Little by little, the town I live in will know Wade Kelly lives here! And, maybe, some of them will read my work and like it. Who knows? *It is just a little scary letting people who have known me a long time, see inside my head. New people may think, "Oh, this is interesting." Or, "Wow, your stories are not what I expected." Or whatever. But the little worrier (not warrior) in my mind thinks that people who knew me for a while, and thought they knew me well, will say or think, "Holy Crap! I didn't know this twisted shit was going on in your head! What is wrong with you?" or "Why do you write gay fiction and not something normal?" (Because gay is still "taboo" around here a little. (it's becoming accepted, but not easily.) I know, I may worry too much, but I was already rejected once by people I thought knew and loved me. It is hard to step out in faith that I am doing a good thing, writing touching subject matter and in my way capturing the state of cultural situations. I want to touch people and make them think. Am I doing that? Let me know. I feel like I am in a constant state of tension between writing meaningful and writing popular. <goes and gets coffee to settle nerves> NEXT.....

But hey… Lets start off this PROMO time period with a questionnaire!

On August 5^th, I am listing on my blog, a set of 25 questions for you to answer about When Love Is Not Enough. If you haven’t read it, read it now! If you need a brush up, re-read it now! The idea is to have read the novel and do the questionnaire like a test. I’d rather people didn’t “cheat” and search the pages for the answers. Go by memory. If everyone gets all the answers correct, then I will pick a random winner from the lot of participants. Details for the contest will be on the blog on Monday. I think I will pick the winner on August 12^th to kick-off release week!

Also… I am doing a “blog hop”, which I have never done. I hope to gain a larger audience and grab some new readers. As far as I understand, this is the schedule for the blog hop:

Post on Mrs. Condit Reads, Tuesday August 13^th. I think I’m going with a content blog on what and why I wrote The Cost of Loving. As well as a post on “Meet Wade Kelly”.

Then on August 15^th I have a more full and open interview with A Novel Approach. This fills in even more details about me, my life, my writing, and what I am about. And a giveaway!

August 16^th is THE BIG DAY! Release day for The Cost of Loving. (Pre-order available now!) But I will also be featured on Joyfully Jay. Blurb, excerpt, and yes—a giveaway!

And we wind down with another interview on August 17^th on Aisling Mancy’s author blog with a bit more depth to wrap things up as to who I am in the scheme of the writing world and what I’ve learned up to this point. Plus, my FAVORITE EXCERPT! (lol)

So these are the things that are going on. I am a very busy person this month. I wrote a short story for submission to Dreamspinner Press’s Advent Calendar anthology. Fingers crossed that they will want it. If not, I will expand it into a novel. I like the story. But the idea was to get my name out there, so that is why I chose to do the ADVENT ANTHOLOGY. I have a small following and I would like to grow my audience.

The story is titled: LAST MINUTE SHOPPING. It is heartwarming. *winks* for the Advent Anthology: Heartwarming. :) I wrote it in two days. Next time I get an inkling to write a short, I should do it when I have more time! haha. it is 8055 words long.

Ciao for now peeps.

Wade