Rainbow Book Fair 2015

Hello everyone! I have returned from the first "convention" of the year! I will count this year's RBF (Rainbow Book Fair) as a success. This is the 7th year that they have put on the book fair and I have seen it growing and growing every year. I can say that, because I've been to 5 out of 7. I am not sure who all is involved with advertising the fair and drumming up vendors etc, but I think they have done a great job.

I sold more books than last year, and I met a bunch more people! Some have even friended me on Facebook and thirteen people filled out my little raffle card and checked the box marked YES to be kept up to date via e-mail. I normally do this by subscribing you to my blog. I don't have an e-mail group list or anything to send you updates, and I normally update fans by blogging. I ramble, therefore blogging is the easiest for me.

I want to shout out to all the newer people to my blog, I have tried (in the past) to blog twice a week. Sometimes that pattern goes on for a while, and then it fizzles out. I think most of the times I fizzled in the past was because I had nothing to say and gave up. Then others time it was because I felt "watched" by people who like to stir up trouble for me in my real life. Lately, in the last couple weeks, my inconsistency has been my sucky internet. I have let service more times than I care to count and have had to go to a cafe to get online. NOT FUN! I researched getting another provider at my house, but I live in the middle of nowhere and nothing is available except Verizon. I just have to bear with it.

Another thing I was trying in the blogging process was doing different things on different days.

Monday - "Movie Mondays" where I talk about movies I like.
Tuesday - "Tuesday Teasers" where I post excerpts from my books.
Wednesday - "What's Up Wednesdays?" was for posting random things.
Thursday - "Throwback Thursday"was where I posted OLDER posts and talked about my progression as a writer.
Friday - "Friend Fridays" was for friends to stop by and visit my blog whether they be writers, artists, editors, photographers, etc. to talk about their books or businesses and let my readers hear about someone new.
Saturday - "Saturday Songs", I was listing songs and bands I like.
Sunday - "Silent Sundays" have had a few posts of my pets, but very short posts and a link to Sundays with Sam on 2 Boys In Love. (Because i love Sam)


These topics were intended to be a break from the norm and for me to utilize more of Poppy Dennison's suggestions from the seminar I attended at the Dreamspinner Writer's Workshop. She suggested 20% marketing via shout-outs like: "BUY MY BOOK!  BUY MY BOOK!" and 80% being posts about ME. Hence, the music and pets pictures and movies I like. However, I am too inconsistent to keep up blogging every single day. Especially when my internet is crap! So my basic patter will stand, with posts on each day as listed above, yet not every single week.  I will try to post 2-3 times a week on various topics, and I am open to suggestion if there is anything you out there would like me to talk about. E-mail me anytime: writerwadekelly@gmail.com

So, the book fair…. I had a great time. It was wonderful seeing  people I haven't seen in a long time. I will list people, but forgive me as it is DIFFICULT to remember every name. Jeff Adams is always a pleasure to talk to and hang out with so I was glad to spend time with him. I will not see him again until October :(  Kade Boehme I hadn't seen since LAST April so that had been WAY to long. I got several hugs and he allowed me to stroke his beard :) It was wonderful seeing Chris Shirley since I only see him once a year and we've known each other since BEFORE we were both published. AND I got to hear him read!!! I <3 you Chris!  Sara York was next to my table so I got to be around her and her husband a while. Hadn't seen Sara for months!!! so that was a pleasure. I also saw Tammy Middleton briefly, AE Vie, Crystal Marie and Leta Blake. Monique Thompson gave me a big old hug and a smile, as she did last year!! :) I got to meet Wendy Soto, & JC Wallace whom I only knew from brief online interaction. Of course Debra was there again this year and I got MANY hugs and good conversation as we chatted at the Basso Bar on 56th street Saturday evening. (Such a sweet gal!) Trish won the prize I gave away, so congrats to her!!! (Jeff picked the winner form the pile, I did not cheat!) So I got to see Trish and Tina (Miz) and Susan Lee and Taylor Donovan.

And then I MET people!!!! Stephan was a very once man who bought some books. I hope he enjoys them! I signed books for Peggy, Jesse, & Ruffo that I can remember. And a sweet shy girl named Lisa chatted with me a while and I am glad she did. She was very cute and soft-spoken. I hope you find me on facebook, Lisa! Keep in touch! And there were several other people that stopped and talked to me and I enjoyed every bit of it!

Along with giving out free books if they were won on my prize wheel, I also gave out CDs with audio samples from JOCK, and Misplaced Affection!! Jason Frazier is in the process of narrating it for me. He said it should be finished in late April. I hope that holds as I know many fans are waiting for that title. But Jason and his husband flew out from California to be there with Me, Jeff, and Sara as he is and has narrated books for all of us. He was a pleasure to meet!

Friday night I went to the theater with Jason and Elliot to see Aladdin. It was spectacular! Such a fun time. And afterwards, we went back stage and got a tour of the stage, etc by Jonathan Freeman's assistant. (He is the actor who plays Jafar in the musical, but also did the voice in the movie. He is the original JAFAR!) And later, I got to MEET Jonathan Freeman! whoot! What fun!

I am not sure what else I can say in this blog post. I had a great time in New York and I fully plan to go back for RBF #8 in 2016. I hope to see you all there!

Love and Hugs!

Wade Kelly

xoxoxoox