Saturday, May 24, 2014

Back to the Old Grind

So I get back from NOLA and the first thing I have to do is take my youngest to the doctor's office at 8:30 the next morning. Wow. Talk about jumping right back into "life." Going to New Orleans was sort of like a vacation because I had no responsibilities other than to have fun, interact with people, talk about books, and eat. Then I come back and everything is there waiting. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, driving my kids all over creation, and planning for a birthday party for my son. I set up a Paintball party for today that I do not think he knows about. (And it will suck if he stalks me online and sees this post before the party. LOL)

LIFE though, doesn't lend itself often to TIME. I lack time to do many things including write. I know I need to structure myself and that is a goal of mine. I also started a diet, so this will help my structure. It is basically cutting out carbs and fat and sugar. (Taste, really.) And I am going to give it a go for 30 days and see. My niece lost 30 pounds so that is motivation for me!

Writing causes another concern. I worry that I use the same premiss as my catalyst for trauma in too many stories, so I need to mix things up. Characters can't go through emotional stress just because they are gay. Yes, that happens, but I don't want to sound repetitive and worn out. I need new thoughts in my books. So, this current WIP needs a tweak. Jack is from a "religious family" and being gay was an issue for Flynn (The best friend)… But I'm thinking I need a different focus. So I am working on it. The overly religious family has also been done, but maybe I can focus on other things. I don't know. I don't want to bore readers, but I also have a certain idea of where the story needs to go.

Fear of coming out to a friend based on assumptions linked with religious belief is valid, but have I already done this enough? And what about when I write about Rob and Russell in the next installment of JOCK. Rob is religious. Are readers going to get bored reading the topic AGAIN????? These are my concerns.

Luckily NAMES doesn't have religious themes, so at least one book in my mix doesn't touch on that topic. Not that I mind talking about religion, more specifically Christianity, but I don't want to bore all of you! What are your thoughts?

Anyway… I am writing, and rewriting, and trying to structure myself enough to WRITE everyday! I need to be focused on my career. I am a writer, therefore I must write!!

Love you all.

Off to plan the Paintball event for my soon to be MAN child. (EIGHTEEN next week, OMGosh!)

hugs,

Wade

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Best experiences saved for last RT 2014

When I wrote about RT in the last post, I had no idea how much I would have to talk about from the last day and a half!!!! I thought, "Oh, dance party. Breakfast. Leave. What more will there be to say?" Oh wow, WRONG!

After the Big Book Signing Event, and meeting super bubbly fan Kayla (who was wonderful!), I went to the FAN-tas-tic Day Event that Dreamspinner hosted. I had my "appearance" scheduled at 7:15-7:45 . It was a huge event and lots of people were in the ball room so I guess limiting the time some authors came in helped keep the numbers down as best they could. Can't have 3000 people in the same room I guess. IDK. I went in. I found a table in the back near where Dreamspinner's staff was set up to give away prizes and all. I met a new YA author named Winter. She was super cute. And I got to take another picture with my publisher Elizabeth North. I have been published with DSP since Dec 2009 so I was glad to actually meet Elizabeth. (Lovely woman, btw.)

Party winding down, I am standing around wondering when is best to leave since only one person really came up to me. Glad I lingered! Because near the end of the event was when three sweet French girls come up to me and ask me to sign their book. I knew Karen was going to come to the FAN-tas-tic fun day because she told me she was. She and her friends flew from FRACE for one day at RT!! WOW. They brought with them a scrapbook album that I've seen made from Snapfish. Very professional looking and pretty. Anyway, they had it made so their favorite authors could sign it. (less weight to travel when all the pages are together in one book! SMART)

So Karen is excited, I was too, we hug and she opens her book. And then I cried. ONE WHOLE PAGE was dedicated to me! I was blown away. It was so touching and I had never felt so honored. Thank you Karen, and Sofia, and Stephanie for the privilege of being included. They even quoted from JOCK on the page! I was so emotional over it!

  
Me crying!
This is what I am talking about in my previous blog about BEING WORTH IT! RT 2014 is for the fans. ANd when moments like this one occurs, it validates my whole reason for writing. I appreciate their love and kindness so much! THANK YOU girls again! Hugs and kisses to you all!! :)

And right after they walked away and my tears subsided, I get a text from my son. "Yeah… just keep believing in your self and you'll reach your goal, I believe in ya mother!" …. and I cried all over again!

The next day I cried some more. J.P. Barnaby made me laugh and cry! LOL. Wonderful lady. I was glad to talk with her more and get to know her a little better. She let me touch her hair and told me I had a fetish. LOL… I have a fetish. I never thought about it like that before but I do! I LOVE touching people's hair. I petted Heather practically all week!!

I went to Jackson Square with Jordan Hawk after breakfast. LOVED hanging out with her. We relaxed and talked and took in the street art displayed all around the park. So pretty. I met an artist and bought something.
I swear I got his card and I was going to link his website, but I can't find it. I'll add the info later I guess.

THEN…… Jordan and I decided to get a drink at the Jackson Brewing Co. on the way back to the hotel. I needed to leave, but I wasn't on a tight schedule. So glad we stopped. We met the most charming, adorable, and interesting bartender EVER!!! I've never thought of bar tending as chemistry, but Dante made it look like it is! I watched as he made this drink for another customer and he had a eyedropper and coated the inside of the glass with something. Then proceeded to use a beaker to add capfuls of something else and stir it. IDK. It looked interesting to me. If I had had more time I am sure Jordan and I would have come back several days. He was funny and very sweet. And kind enough to let us get a picture with him. He even let down his lovely hair! I only which I'd gotten a picture of his tattoo of Eros (God of Love). It was gorgeous. He concocted two drinks for me and I had a great time on my last day in NOLA!

 

And, Dante gave me a flower ;)  You know I have it on my desk, right? :D



Other really fun things…. I got to hug on a hot actor! (Two, actually.) A first for me. Zach and Eric were very nice to meet and I wish their web series a the best of luck. You will see me linking it on my blog from time to time and I'll put a link on my website. Anything to help these nice gentlemen in their careers.


CHECK OUT NECROLECTRIC.COM


I think that's all for now. IDK. If I think of something else I'll edit the post or make a new one.

I had a great week! Thanks to all of you for making it FAN-tas-tic! ;)

Wade










Saturday, May 17, 2014

The RT Bookhaters experience


If you haven’t noticed, I tend to use “shocking” titles to grab your attention. For newbies to the Wade Kelly speak, you may not be used to my sarcasm, but eventually you will get use to it. I am not a “book hater”, but I am a NONreader. I am the most illiterate author you will ever meet, and probably one of few authors who rarely read. I often tell people I NEVER read, but that is not true. I embellish. I rarely have time to read so when I DO read it is normally within my genre. (Check Goodreads for what I like.)

That said, coming to this “BOOKLOVERS” convention was interesting given the fact that I probably recognized 2% of the authors listed on the RT website (out of like 700 registered), and READ 1%. So… LOL… This convention was a different experience for me than it would be for people who READ the authors who attended.

Most of the time there were 2400+ people here. LOTS of panels to sit in on, sometimes as many as 9 at the same time. (I did not fact check. It could have been more.) The hotel was HUGE and getting to the designated areas for a panel was a hike. The elevators were odd and you could only push the floor number in the hall way, not on the elevator. If you pushed the wrong floor, you had to wait, get off, and try again.

I often felt lost as a tiny fish in an ocean for authors. It was crazy.

So, (and yes, I use this unnecessary word often,) as for the PROS of going to RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION:

1. Exposure. New authors need to get there name out there in the public eye somehow. What better way than to attend an event where there are potentially 2400 new readers? 90% of the attendees might be HET readers, I don’t know, but I think there are a large and growing number of LGBTQ readers. Swag, promo, and author appearances are a great way for people to SEE YOU. (SEE ME.) You never know who will pick up a pen and later talk about you to a friend or twenty. Exposure is important.

2. Exposure. –Same word, different take. The LGBTQ spectrum of the RWA (Romance Writers of America) is small. So small, they only recently (I think this year) included categories for LGBTQ books to be judged for their prestigious “RITA” awards. (Don’t quote me on this, I could be getting my facts wrong.) No one won, but at least the categories existed this time. It is the same for RT. As I was listening (because that is what I do) I learned that the LGBTQ community presence is larger than it has been and continues to grow. RT takes notice of this. So bringing in my “little fish” self and making the LGBTQ authors percentage grow by one makes a difference. Every vice counts. Some LGBTQ panels were so large that RT will have to give us bigger rooms next year. As we continue to support the community, exposure is larger and larger and makes a bigger impact for the future.

3. I learned some things sitting in on panels. A.) readers like longer books better. (*information from a self-pub panel given by the CEO of Smashwords.) Stats show books that are over 100k sell more then the others. YAY for me, you know I can’t write short.  B.) Books priced at $1.99 hardly sell at all! .99 books do fine, but the KEY price is $2.99 or $3.99 (ebook). This doesn’t effect me right now, but this is good information for the future. C.) Readers like series! This is helpful to know because the Smashwords stats showed huge numbers for series books. I guess readers like a set of characters or a town/setting and want more about that place and people. Good for me to know. I need to write the 3rd book about Darian and my sequel to JOCK. And get more consistent about writing the follow-up stories. D.) Authors with shorter names do better. Wade Kelly is nice and short. E.) Contemporary Romance sells the most. YAY ME! I picked the right sub-genre.

*disclaimer… This all said, these stats the Smashwords guy gave were based on ALL books sold on his site. He did not give stats for LGBTQ books as a category.

Also… I learned to pay attention to what the readers WANT. If they like a character, not a good idea to kill them. OR, if they LOVE a character, it might be good to give that character his own book. OR in my case, two characters. Readers have been asking about a sequel to JOCK. I NEED TO LISTEN TO THEM! I am slated to write that sequel next year. It will happen. And maybe if I get some fun characters going, I could create a series. We shall see.

~ Be organized. Lay out a writing plan and stay focused on writing well. The length of time it takes to write a book doesn’t matter as much as the quality of writing.~

4. RT BOOKLOVER’S Convention is just that – a booklover’s convention. It is for the fans! There were loads of fans who wanted nothing more than to find their favorite authors and “fan girl” them. Kind of like when I went to an Orioles Fan Day at the Park and waited in line to get an autograph of a O’s pitcher. It is a special moment. Some come with books to sign and some only want a picture or a signed post card because they have the paperback at home or have it in a Kindle. This isn’t a place to SELL lots of books and make any money. It’s just not.

I sold 3 books. The majority of readers here right now are HET, and also since I am a little fish, few people know my name anyway. I need to plug away at writing and continue to get my face and name seen in the public. My fans will grow.

HUGE highlight that made me cry a little was meeting a fan who was bouncing up and down with excitement over meeting me. She took a picture so I hope she friends me on facebook. Kayla told me about a road trip she took with a friend, Brad, and he read JOCK while they drove. She said they all about died laughing (other people in car too.) and they enjoyed the book so much. I was extremely happy to meet her because it validated my decision to come to RT. I made one girl very happy!

It was actually more than one, but in that example I was talking about Kayla. I met a few people who were very happy I was there. This makes a difference.

I also learned (I think on a panel, idk,) that as an author I need to take care of the fans I have. I can’t get hung up on how to grow the fan base, where to sell more books, and what will help me become more known out there without first taking care and interacting with the people who already know who I am. Those readers who read and love my books matter. I need to blog or tweet or whatever I normally do in social media to let them know I’m alive and I’m still writing. This is partially why I started The Wade Brigade. I intend to interact there more than other places and post excerpts there that are not listed in other places. The Wade Brigade is a special group on Facebook for current fans of my writing. Come on over and talk to me ;)

…..so what about the CONS?.......

1. The hotel is huge! The elevators are weird. The beds are double bed size, not queen.

2. I didn’t know there was a 20% cut taken by RT for all books sold. There goes any profit! I was going to reconsider my asking price but I thought about it too late. I decided to let it ride and see if I sold any. I am glad I left it alone because now at least I broke even. (As an author I still have to buy my books.) The 20% that RT took for a fee, took away any money I might have made. Note: I think someone else said they knew there was a fee, but I missed that in the e-mails. Not good. So read the fine print!

3. I was promised a ½ table….. wow. Half of a postage stamp is more like it. I think there were 3 authors in a six-foot spot with only about 18 inches wide of a table to stack everything, books included. This was the Indie Author side, the OTHER authors had about 3 times the price for the same entrance fee. Not fare RT.

4. Because of the size, I think, most attendees at the big book fair signing went to the “famous” author side first and the Indie Author side didn’t see traffic until 2 hours later. By the time people started trickling in, the event was more than half over. Sad.


I guess that is all I have to say… The tables were too small and the 20% cut seemed steep, but those are the only things I would say are negative.

Will I come next RT? I think so. Gregory Payne might want to come with me and I have a hard time saying no to Greg. It will be in Dallas. I will bring WAY LESS BOOKS! Way less. I am glad I didn’t fly for this one and learned things associated with driving 17 hours. (Also something I will not do again.) Max drive is 9 hours I think. I can handle 9. I’m driving to Chicago in October.)

I need to plan better and this experience gave me much to ponder and prepare for for next year. I recommend window panel adverts, and elevator ones! (Not sure on cost, but they were the best ones advertisement wise.)

Side note: I had 43 people sign up to try and win a free audiobook of JOCK, 19 of which wanted to be on the subscribe list! Whoot! For all you new subscribers-THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING!!!!

The winner was Cricket McD.


And Tina S. won my gift basket full of swag, books, and other items related to JOCK.

I know this is Saturday at 6:45 and the evening is not done, but I'm going to a dance and a FAN mingle event. Those things will be fun I'm sure. 

Not to mention I might see the really cute actors that were promoting their web series NECROLECTIC. I'm "Team Cas", btw. ;)

Laterz

Wade


PS: Did I mention I LOVE my fans!!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

I’m sick of NOLA already!

…….. Just kidding…… But I AM sick. I woke up with a head cold. In fact I woke up long before any sane person with a huge pounding  headache and a stuffy nose. I texted my daughter and she felt bad and said she hoped I got better soon. My son texted and told me to have fun “acting like a 21 year old with my crazy friends.” I love my kids!

So yeah… day one, was good but tiring as I drove for most of it. I found Beck Condit and my room. I found Jordan Hawk and hung with her. Had dinner with  Jordan Hawk and Jessica Freely. (EM Lynley also joined us.) FUN TIMES J

This morning I’m sitting in the restaurant and whose voice do I hear… JORDAN’s. :D heehee. I think it will be a nice week if I get to spend time with her. I got her cell number and thought, “OMG, I had JORDAN HAWK’S Cell number!” I am such a dork. But I think she’s awesome.

She is a very intelligent woman and we had some really good conversations about marketing and coming up with a business plan.

I’m not sure what else to write about. I’m trying to figure out where I will be today. There are a couple of panels I’d like to hear. I also need to go set up my stuff in the promo room. If you are at RT, stop by and enter a contest for a free audio book of My Roommate’s A Jock? Well, Crap!


Laterz ya’ll


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Road Trip To LA

LA as in Louisiana, not Los Angeles…. lol

I made it. I do not recommend it. I thick the cost is higher all the way around than flying even if I have three checked bags and would have to get a cab from the airport. I liked the "road trip" experience and it will go in my book about the group of friends who follow a band around the country. I thin kit will be fun to include my experiences.

The last two hours or so was the worst. I was very tired. I started out late yesterday as the car was making a weird noise so I drove back and switched cars. Turned out the locking mechanism would not lock so it kept trying to lock every twenty feet as I drove. I got switched out into an upgraded car and they removed a day from the rental, but I lost 1.5 hours drive time. That put me in Chattanooga, TN later than expected so that is where I stopped. Then I couldn't sleep. I think it was the excitement of seeing everyone. IDK.

I listened to Aaron by J.P. Barnaby for about 8 hours ish of the trip (I forget how long it is.) It was amazing. She did an incredible job of painting a character with stress disorder (To put it mildly.) I thought it was brilliantly done. I didn't cry as much as I thought  I would. I teared up a couple times, but nothing major. I can not wait to read Spencer. (book 2)

Right now I am taking a little time to blog before the first "party". Damon Suede is hosting a movie night. I'm in my PJ's :D

I am very tired. I am getting hungry.

Short but sweet.

And don't forget… Stop by My Facebook group if you are a fan.
The Wade Brigade


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Creating My Own Brand

This post plays off the last post, I guess. I can't beat myself up for not being like other others who can write LOTS and LOTS and zillions of words a day, and who publish book after book. That is not me, so I have to remind myself often to stay positive and think about what I can do. I can bring to readers a "fresh voice", as one reader e-mailed me to say.

I have said it before in the past, and I need to repeat myself because I often forget what I say and I end up frustrated for not writing faster. (Notice the vicious cycle?) I said before, I don't write "cookie cutter" novels. At least I try not to. I strive to layer the story and add sub-plots and a message to what I have to say. I like to write about life and life experiences and cultural issues and what I see happening in the world. This is not to say I observe something and I write a biography of a particular bystander. NO. I say this in a general sense.

For example: Hate Crimes. I kind of touch on this in My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! Hate crimes DO exist and people do get beat up for being gay, or have their stuff trashed, or get the word "faggot" spray-painted on their lockers etc. It happens. Is it all the time? IDK. Does it happen everywhere? IDK. I present the issue in the context of my characters because it might have happened to you, or the kid down the street that you know. Shit like that happens. But what else in JOCK did I write about to make people think? Um, Christianity.

I even had a guy e-mail me in the last week or so about just that! I wrote about Christianity as I have seen it in some people I know. I am not saying ALL Christians are like this, we all know how horrible some "Christians" can be. (I know this first hand.) But, some go against the norm and I wanted to pose that thought. Jocks can be stereotypicalized, but so can "gays." I suggest that "Christians" can also get stereotyped but the word/name without questioning that some do not fit the "hate monger"/judgmental label.

In When Love Is Not Enough I wrote about suicide. I was depressed when I wrote it and the area of pain seemed appropriate to describe. I started with the idea of a guy touching his best friend's coffin and the story grew from there. I talk about hate and how teens can be pressured to the breaking point by merely trying to win approval and love of family. Jimmy started the story at 16 and by 22 he snapped. There is no telling at what point someone you know will snap. Some can take a lot of pain when others crumble faster when they have no where to take the hurt. This book has touched so many and I am thankful for the pain I went through and the depression in order to write something more personally meaningful.

The Cost of Loving spins off of that one (being a sequel) and talks about being persecuted by the church for sexuality. Matt's character is gay, and a Christian. Something that SOME people might think impossible, but I do not side with that. I think it is very possible. He struggles with his beliefs and his family and the church they are attending. Why do I write this? BECAUSE IT HAPPENS! I know people who have gone through a type of excommunication. I have, to some extent, experienced this. I write what I know and feel.

In Names Can Never Hurt Me I address labeling people and stereotyping, also some bullying. I touch on promiscuity vs. commitment. From experience and observation, there are people who think all different ways and live different life styles. Why not talk about it? Where you the one in high school beating on the "loser kid"? Did you bully the outcast? OR, did you know someone who did? Or did you simply watch, too afraid to try and help? There are all kinds, especially when we are young and dumb and too weak to feel like we can make a difference. This book is about 20 somethings (not teens).

I have discovered a new term. Probably not new to most but it was to me. NEW ADULT. I basically write NEW ADULT gay romantic fiction as it is written about kids from 18 ish to mid twenties. YA is for younger readers, and that is not me. But I am not strictly ADULT either because the characters are younger. Hence, NEW ADULT. So spread the word, Wade Kelly writes New Adult gay fiction.

So with the idea of "Creating my own brand", I have to ride out this slow rise to recognition. I have novels. I am still writing novels, I simply don't have 45 written and published in the last 5 years. Nope. I have basically written and pub bed one per year. BUT, things are in the works to change this. For one, I have support of my family now. Something I did not have for years. I have support of my church friends now, something else that not only did I not have, but I also got hammered for because I have a different vision and voice than some people want to believe in. AND, I have fans! It may not be a large number (although growing), but you people are awesome! I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting e-mails and FB messages of encouragement. That is so exciting and positive. It helps spur me on to want to write more for you out there who appreciate my "voice." There are readers/fans who like that I am not a typical m/m writer. (Not that I can really tell you what that is. I think MANY are atypical.)

I have my own types of stories and when you come to a "Wade Kelly Novel" many of you will know what to expect. Right? I have even coined the phase that some readers use, the "Wade Kelly Special." What is a Wade Kelly Special? Um, well, if you read When Love is Not Enough then what did you observe? I write pain, angst, tears, multiple POVs, flashbacks, and basically rake you heart over a roller coaster of turmoil before the end. THAT is the Wade Kelly Special. Are all my novels labeled this? No. I don't think so. JOCK isn't painful. It is funny for the most part. It does have multiple POVs and a flashback chapter, but I don't think it meet all the "Wade Kelly Special" criteria.

Names Can Never Hurt Me? Hmmm, tough one. You might even think someone else wrote it. HAHA. It is ALL one POV, and chronological. Yes, I said it. ONE POV with no flashbacks. So with the "Wade Kelly Special" definition above, this would not fit into that list. BUT, be warned, there is some angst and some possible tears to be had. It is not as funny as JOCK, it might make you laugh, but it is not as angsty as WLINE. It is in the middle. See chart:



On the above chart, you will notice Misplaced Affection high on the angst side. YES, this one will rip your heart out. (I assume based on crying as I wrote several scenes.) MA (Misplaced Affection) IS a Wade Kelly Special!! I am half way through writing it and I hope to have it out this year. We shall see.

For those interested… I just started a "group" on Facebook called The Wade Brigade. Michael Kudo came up with the name and I thought it was funny. Like I would have a cult following. LOL…. But there are other authors who have "groups" to discuss their own books and places to post excerpts that is only for the "group" thereby making it more special or whatever. We'll see. I started it today. Here is the LINK. Join if you would like. :)

Ciao for Now.

Wade

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT BOSTON!!! :)

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Beating Myself Up

Have you ever felt like you weren't good enough? Felt you weren't smart enough or talented enough to even compare yourself with others? Felt "others" were far more accomplished and intelligent and successful that you were not even in their league? I have. At least I guess I can describe it all in those three sentences. haha.

I look around at others in my field of interest and they seem so "together." Other authors write all the time and have word-count goals (which they meet) and here I am with little to nothing written a day, kicking myself for feeling glum and down and procrastinating. I find it hard to write. Sometimes I find it boring to write. I sat in on a panel at Rainbow Con and heard Lexi Ander talking about plotting out books and that sometimes after it is plotted out so meticulously, she feels it is "done." In her mind, the story is finished and she said (something like) she forgets that it is not done for the readers. THEY haven't heard it yet! … I liked her description because that is how I feel when it comes to writing.

I sit down after thinking about a scene over and over, and I find it difficult to write. It is like I thought about it so long that the scene is boring. It is DONE. But it's not! The scene has played out in my head so very long that when I sit to write it, it feels old and warn out, but I have to remember that my readers can't see into my head. My readers haven't seen Keith and Flynn kissing. My readers haven't seen Flynn lying on top of Keith's outstretched body, fisting his hair and plundering his mouth. (HAHAHA)

So…. please forgive me that I forget about you out there, but it happens.

I get depressed about not writing fast enough also. Like I said, I see others writing all the time and producing book after book and I put out about one a year. That is crazy. I get down and kick myself for not being more productive and not writing like "the other guy."

I don't write this for your pity, but for encouragement to others who might feel as I do. You are not alone. Writing is hard! Focus is hard! And remembering I am not in this for everyone else is hard. I am in this for me. I am writing because I feel the desire and joy to create stories about all the things that happen in the world around me. One day I might even branch out into the stories of things that could happen on other worlds too. :D maybe!

For now, don't let me forget that I don't need to hurry. I am not in a competition to write 50k in a month. I don't do NaNoWritMo because 1. it is in November and I always have too much to do in November & 2. It seemed to be too much scrambling to write "words" that I found;t focus on the content. I normally edit as I go. I am not an author who can simply write now and edit later. I can't. I won't. I need to be true to myself. I write scene by scene. I describe things scene by scene. I find my flow in the way the characters react to elements int he scene as it relates to the plot. If I stopped thinking about the way I painted my picture by only throwing paint on the canvas I think my characters voices would get lost. I am not that type of writer.

So…. I need to STOP BEATING MYSELF UP for not writing faster. Right? I just need to write at whatever pace it comes out. That is not to say I need to forget that I am a writer and I need to practice my talent daily or else lose the flavor and the flare. I should push for more, but I can't get down when my "more" is 300 words and someone else is writing 3000 or 30,000. I can't.

Names Can Never Hurt Me was written in about 14 months. For some authors that might seem like a life time to finish ONE story. But for me, I think it was worth the time. My editors may not agree as I have some serious issues with verb tense in this one and the first editor had to FIX so much of the manuscript. I feel bad for her :( But I also thank her for her patience.

I also worry that because I take so long to release another novel that you all will forget about me. This is another item I need to stop beating myself up over. Some may forget, but many will not. I was blown away by how many people (authors and readers) knew who I was at Rainbow Con. WOW. Incredible! I thought so many times "You've heard of me?" hahaha. So, if I take a year to produce a novel, maybe nudge me from times to time so I know I am still in your thoughts. That I am still an author you want to read.

This next one will be coming out soon. My friend read it and loved it! I can only hope more of you will love Names Can Never Hurt Me and that your praise will get around Amazon and Goodreads and readers will perk up and say, "Oh, Wade Kelly wrote another one? Interesting. Maybe I'll read that." I can't rent the jumbo-tron at Times Square to advertise. I rely on you good people to tell other good people about the books you like. (Mine included.)

Now… the work in progress… I'm working on Misplaced Affection today. I added 1200 words and then I had to go the mechanic's office and wait for my son's truck. While there today, I wrote another 1400 words and this blog! YAY. I had a nail in both front tires of MY car because I am thorough, but they patched them for now. I like waiting there sometimes because I have time to do nothing but write. Ya know? I have no internet to distract me and I can't go anywhere. I was given the gift of time. haha. I like this story and I can only hope to write the "boring" scenes I have in my head for the rest of the world to read.

LOL… I say boring, but I think I have figured out why they are boring to me as I have written this blog. I have "seen" them so often in my head that they come off as "bent here done that" when I write. But I haven't. Not really. The scene, boring or not, needs to come out and get shared. YOU ALL can tell me if I am boring.

One last note. The first editor described NAMES as a "surprisingly sweet romance about a millennial who refuses to grow up." You will have to let me know how accurate you think that is. OKAY??


Hugs to all my amazing friends, readers, and peeps. :)

and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC ARVIN!!! I HOPE IT IS A WONDERFUL DAY!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY,

WADE

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Thinking about my friends

Hello,

I guess this is me promoting others. I do that sometimes. I wanted to let you all know about some books that my friends wrote. ALL of which I have NOT read... yet. But they are friends and I like to talk about my friends :)

First… S. Chris Shirley…. He has a book coming out June 11, 2014. This is his first publication and he has been working on this novel for years! YEARS!!!!! So check it out. If it sounds like a good read to you, buy it! and review it on Amazon, Goodreads, etc…


When seventeen-year old high school newspaper editor Jake Powell, fresh from Alabama, lands in New York City to attend Columbia University's prestigious summer journalism program, it's a dream come true. But his father, a fundamentalist Christian preacher, smells trouble. And his father is rarely wrong.
In Playing by the Book, Jake navigates new and unfamiliar ways "up North," starting with his feelings for a handsome Jewish classmate named Sam. What Jake could keep hidden back home is now pushed to the surface in the Big Apple.
Standing by his side are a gorgeous brunette with a Park Avenue attitude and the designer bags to match, a high school friend who has watched Jake grow up and isn't sure she's ready to let him go, and an outrageously flamboyant aunt who's determined to help Jake find the courage to accept love and avoid the pain that she has experienced.
Provocative and moving, Playing by The Book is a feel-good novel about the joy and heartbreak we encounter in the search for our own truth.
It is a YA novel. I read it is targeted for 13-16 yr olds. It is on Barnes and Noble for preorder.

And then there is Astrally Yours by Alex Carreras

This sci-fi fantasy novel is also found on Barnes and Noble
An Aferrum Brotherhood Novella. 20,486 words.
Caeli Aferrum found himself in the Midwest unsure what to expect from the human race.
He was searching Earth for a partner he could call his own along with some of his brethren. After a few beers and a name change to, Kyle he found the curious creatures full of questions. They appeared less scary and a whole lot sexier, especially the one named Hank.

When Hank Cutter entered Rascals Bar the last thing he expected in his small town of North Fork, Kansas was to meet a man. There was only one gay man in town and that happened to be him. He finds himself faced with a startling truth: Kyle is actually a Ferrumis in search of a mate he intends to have for life on the spacecraft Fronza, a stolen Thorean ship manned by seven other aliens who are roaming the galaxy with no particular destination in mind. He knew love came in many different shapes and sizes, but did his have to have a smooth metallic-colored tail and a set of razor sharp fangs?

Can their love span species lines and quench the growing lust in Caeli in time to save him from his Needing? Or will Hank deny his growing feelings to stay safe and sound on good ol’ planet Earth?

Tail and fangs? Hmm, sounds interesting to me!! :p
And lastly for today, my friend Michael Chulsky. I am about 1/3 to 1/2 way through his novel The Descending Darkness. It is a YA fantasy with teenage characters and his dialogue so far is exactly what I would expect from teenagers! When I finish, I will write a review.

After going from demon hunter to babysitter, seventeen-year-old SHADOW has truly hit rock bottom. One week he's slaughtering demons, and the next he has ten super-powered teenagers in his care. Shadow needs them, because without them he can't hope to defeat his new foe. But he's never dealt with other teenagers before. He never had a real childhood. He's always been a loner. Hell, he's tried the whole having-a-pet thing. It died. Shadow's mission: save the world and ensure his entire team survives the potential apocalypse. If MAEDARA, self-proclaimed fashionista and Queen of Evil, wasn't trying to rule the world, it'd be cake. Now, not only does Shadow have to deal with teens more concerned with going to the mall than fighting evil, but also a villain who, in his opinion, makes Lady Gaga look like Mother Theresa. Found on Amazon.
These are my picks of the week for you to check out while you are waiting ever so patiently for ME.

I am doing well. Busy as ever. I have RT coming up in a week. I hope to get the second round of edits this week, that would be great! I was crazy worried about my book Names Can Never Hurt Me so I asked a friend to read it and let me know if he hated it. Mainly because this particular editor for the first edits, really had nothing to say. Her silence made me question my writing. (AGAIN.) He said not to fear! He like it. Phew.

I'm sorry I doubted you Tina. You said you liked it and I should just trust your gut. But now I have 3 guts to go by. (three because my friend also gave it to his husband to read. Another of my friends.) I bank on their honesty. They are good people. So I hope it will also go over well with my audience. I want you readers out there to react. for good and bad. I want you to laugh and cry and relate to my characters. Or at least enjoy them. And hey, Names Can Never Hurt Me has a sequel planned! heehee. So when you finish reading, let me know if you are interested in more. (Although I hope by then I might have a good portion of it written.)

Coming soon! (I'll shout the date when I have it!)

What if sexuality wasn’t a definable thing and labels merely got in the way?

Nick Jones can’t remember a time when he wasn’t part of the in crowd. Everywhere he goes, he stands out as the best looking guy in the room, and women practically fall into bed with him. Then, after kissing Corey on a dare led to much more and on many occasions, Nick’s “screw anything” reputation escalated, but he didn’t care. 

When Nick meets RC at the restaurant where he works, it throws his whole life out of whack. Overweight, always sweaty, gay, and hairy like a bear; RC lives up to his dubbed nickname “scruffy dude.” He seems Nick’s complete opposite, but Nick can’t get him out of his head.


Because of peer-pressure and his fears about defining his sexuality, Nick struggles with stepping out of his comfort zone and caring about someone different than himself.  If he’s lucky, somewhere between arrogance and ignorance, Nick might find out what it means to be an adult, but if he’s wrong, he could lose everything.  


That's all for now. Over and out!

Wade