Audiobooks... I love them

I love audiobooks. Have I told you that before? Well, I do. Part of the reason is because I find it difficult to read books on kindle or hardcover. I read, but I drift. Sometimes I drift off to sleep. Not that they are boring, but because staring makes my eyes tired. Listening, however, keeps me glued to every word. And when I notice I miss things, I do often rewind and relisten to catch up. The other reason I've come to understand is that I'm an auditory learner. I learn better by listening. So if I read out loud, then I remember longer, or if I am told something face-to-face or walked through something on the phone I learn it quicker. YouTube videos are good too because the verbal explanation comes with steps to watch.

Audiobooks have gotten me away from NEVER READING. I often say I don't read. Well, there was a time period where I didn't. I couldn't find time and reading was the thing that got shoved out of the schedule. Now, I CAN read, but it's through listening. Some people don't like it, but I REALLY DO! So for those authors out there considering putting their books on audio, I say DO IT! If I can find a book on audio there is a higher chance I'll read it.

Some of my recent reads (listens) are:

BUY IT NOW ON AUDIBLE

This was a really good book! I've only listened to the first 4 in the series, so the rest may be better, but I really LOVED SECRETS. The character Victor Bayne could probably be counted in my top 10 favorite characters of all time alongside Adrien English, Miki St. John, & Drizzt Do'Urden!  I know, I know, I'm like 10 years behind on discovering the brilliance of Jordan Castillo Price, but 10 years or not, I'm here now.

The first Book in the series came out in 2006.

In 2006, I was writing a sci-fi book called Escaping Reality. I wrote 284,000 words I think. Sometimes the number 267,000 comes to mind so I'm not completely sure how many words this was, but it was more like a trilogy and since that time I've taken it apart by chapter. It's no longer one doc, but many docs. Eventually, I plan to get back to it, but right now I don't have time. But in the same year Jordan introduces Victor Bayne, I was finding my joy of writing. I had NEVER written an entire story before 2006. So as far as I'm concerned, 2006 was a great year!

Another book I've listened to recently is...

On AUDIBLE HERE.

This is a very cute story. My only problem is that I would have liked it to be longer. Like maybe the end of a novel where the things the characters reflect on, are played out instead of memories. However, it was very cute as is.

I also listened to Dirty Heart, which is the last book in the Cole McGinnis Series.

This was an excellent ending to a wonderful series.

I guess I've been listening to more books lately because I'm in a funk. I'm kind of depressed and can't seem to focus on writing. I NEED to write JOCK 4, and I have tons of ideas rolling around in my head, but nothing is coming out. I'm dry. I'm not enthused, I'm not real happy, and I can't blame it on "family situations" forever. I guess part of it is self-pity. "I can't do it." But that only goes so far. I have to pull myself out of this and buck-up and DO IT!!!!!

I'm part of the way through edits of JOCK 3, so at least readers will get that book this year. I don't have the cover yet, but I'm excited for it.

I'm also excited for MY OWN AUDIOBOOKS. If you didn't know, I've got three audiobooks in my publication list.

 Buy Names Can Never Hurt Me HERE.

 Buy Misplaced Affection HERE.

 Buy JOCK 1 HERE.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will leave a comment on your thoughts about audiobooks. Do you have a favorite? Have you listened to any of mine? Which narrator do you like best?

That's all for now.

Hugs (& Kittens- for Jason.)

~Wade

New Releases, And an Incentive to buy the Audio of Misplaced Affection

Hello,

It's been a while. I think it's because BLOGGING tend to get shoved to the back of my mind. As far as social media, I use Facebook the most. I'm constantly connected to it. I instant message and "like" posts. I get notifications all day long. Facebook is easy. Blogging takes thought. I have to think about what I want to say and often I've got nothing.

What's been going on lately?

I had a couple releases in December!

No! Jocks Don't Date Guys came out December 14th.

If you haven't checked them out, please do! There is an excerpt of No! Jocks Don't Date Guys on Dreamspinner and Amazon. Reviews are all over the place, but the biggest issue seems to be with the cheerleaders and the dad. Sorry. :/ I was trying to go for an issue that was NOT about Chris being gay. Oh well.  
5 stars (50)  |  4 stars (99)  |  3 stars (43)  |  2 stars (15)  |  1 star (0)

Then, Misplaced Affection went LIVE on AUDIBLE.COM on December 30th.

You can hop over to Audible and listen to an excerpt of Chris Patton narrating Misplaced Affection. The list price is $24.95 for 15 hours. When produced through ACX, they are the ones who set the price in relation to the length. Then there is a discounted price for audible listeners. (Those are members of audible.) When you are a member, you have different levels of membership. I am a member on the lowest level (I think) of 2 credits per month. This means, that for a certain amount of $$ per month, I get two credits to buy audio books. 1 credit = 1 book. I can use my credit on a $17.95 book, on down to a $4.95 book. Whatever book I want. Since I discovered I can listen to more books than read, I joined and I look forward to choosing 2 books every month! So far, I haven't actually listened to 2 books EVERY month, but the option is there. If you haven't tried audio, visit audible and listen to some samples. They have samples of everything! Some narrators you may fall in love with, some you may cringe. Everyone has different tastes. I have some narrators I LOVE to listen to.

If you aren't a member, TRY IT! Sign up, choose Misplaced Affection for your 1st book and let me know. *Then, I'll mark you down and when my next book comes out, I'll send you a copy!

(*Note: Audible lets me know when someone DOES JOIN for the first time and buys my book as a new member. There is an incentive program. If they send me an incentive, then I will pass my joy onto you with a free book. eBook or paperback. **Redeemable at least 30 days after new membership on audible.)

Other News:

I have turned in the last stage of edits on Bankers' Hours. This means it will be up for pre-order soon, probably February for my March release. You may now GUESS on the release date. I have had several guesses already on my facebook group The Wade Brigade. (Join if you are a fan and you're on Facebook!)

I will do a cover reveal soon on my blog and website, but probably not on Facebook or Twitter until there is a pre-order link with it. But feel free to comment on this link and let me know WHEN you think Bankers' Hours will release! I actually already HAVE the date, but I will take guesses until February 5th. THEN, I will select a winner unless the pub date hasn't been guessed. :/ I'll send you a free eBook copy of Bankers' Hours if you win :) Happy Guessing <3

AND..... Some of you will be very happy to know Dreamspinner contracted a narrator to record Names Can Never Hurt Me. By summer, I should have another audio book on the market :)

That is all for now. Hugs!

In the Works

It's been 10 days since I last posted. Ooops. I'd like to say that so much has been going on that I forgot to post, but that isn't exactly true. Much has gone on, but not out of the ordinary. I normally lead a very busy life with driving children places and taking care of animals and the house and laundry, cooking etc… There is never a dull moment in this house. We watched the Raven's play and lose to New England on Saturday. It was a really close game and exciting to watch.

I also gave thought to the cover of Names Can Never Hurt Me and decided to ask for a change. As much as readers LOVE the book who take the time to read it, it is also not a big seller and there are WAY TOO MANY readers I am losing simply by (possibly) having a cover that is too off-putting and controversial. This IS the cover I wanted. It is. I wanted a more neutral cover without cover-models, that basically captured my point in the book. It did. The cover below says it all.

Except that it also does NOT tell you it is a ROMANCE NOVEL. It also does't say anything about being a romance between two men. It is maybe TOO neutral. Ya see, I am not widely read to begin with. If I were Stephen King, and I use his name all the time because everyone knows who he is, I could put a puppy on the cover and nothing else and people would buy it. I could picture a tree or a xylophone and my readers would probably suspect what they were going to read without having a cover that spelled it out. Even before flipping a book over to read the blurb, Stephen King fans KNOW what he writes. No so with me.

For those Wade Kelly fans who follow my blog or read my Twitter Tweets, or have "Friended" me on Facebook, you already know what I write and although all my books are different, I suspect you know what you are getting yourself into. For the random people out there who have yet to experience the Wade Kelly Special, they don't know what to look for, they don't recognize the name, and they are more likely apt to pick up a different book on Amazon by a different author that they've maybe never heard of JUST BECAUSE there is a hot guy on the cover. I am not saying I am against guys on the cover. What I hoped I could do was widen my reader base by having a cover that was DIFFERENT. But mine was too different. Very few people bought it.

In the interest of trying not to slit my throat before I am even out there, I asked to have the cover redone, WITH GUYS ON IT! Dreamspinner was very accommodating and the cover is in the works. I am excited about it. Now, readers will get the chance to see what Nick and RC might look like. For those who read it, be warned, it is extremely hard to find a larger, hairy, italian looking dude with long curly hair and green eyes etc. The guy I picked was the best I could do. I think he's good enough. He makes the point that the one protagonist is not a typical twin or stud. (Although plenty of people will consider him a stud anyway!) My models will hopefully do the trick and catch some more reader's eyes. I need to or this awesome book will die. Personally I want it to take off so DSP will consider doing an audio version! Wouldn't that be cool? So, fingers crossed, we will have another cover on Names Can Never Hurt Me soon.

With the re-do, maybe I will give away a few paperbacks! ;) Stay tuned!

In other news, I've been writing. There was a LONG DRY SPELL where I didn't feel motivated at all. Then, I had about six different characters talking at the same time so three books started moving ahead. I have word-counts on:

Only Skin Deep - the sequel to NAMES
The Honorary Tooth Fayrie - a comedy about a male hygienist.
and ….. and….. the sequel to JOCK! Should I tell you the title yet? No, I'm gonna wait. Those in the Wade Brigade on Facebook have heard the title I'm leaning toward. I have been outlining this book and plan to hit it hard when I have some time.

My main issues are time… and um, TIME!

Did I mention I have kids? Yeah, well, last year I think I did a good job balancing the time between smily and writing. This year I hope to do an even better job and make a stronger commitment to really being an AUTHOR and not a part-time writer.

Goals… (I hate setting them because I always come up short)

1.  To have a good chunk of the new JOCK book done by the time I go to the Dreamspinner Writers Workshop in March. That is not a lot of time, but I think I can do it as long as the words flow. Fingers crossed and hope they flow like a waterfall during monsoon season! :)

Once JOCK 2 (Title coming soon) is done and submitted to DSP, I need to get two other projects working this year. So,

2.  Finish writing my vampire comedy/ horror My Lover Sucks because I want to submit this to a different publisher and spread my "eggs" out among other baskets. (To use a metaphor) I think having two works submitted this year will help jumpstart that ball rolling of having MORE THAN ONE publication per year! I was 2-3 a year! After I submit MLS, I will jump on another self-pub!

3.  Rewrite Sculpting Clay! and get it self-pubbed. Is that wise? I don't know. Self-pubbing so far is turning out VERY SLOW moving indeed. BUT, I think it is because I am not well known. Once I get my name out there, then hopefully readers will find my other stuff on Amazon like Misplaced Affection! I self-pubbed that so I could have another publication out within six months of NAMES. If I can self-pub Sculpting Clay before the year is out, then I can only hope that JOCK 2, and My Lover Sucks will be published in and around the time that Sculpting Clay make as reappearance.

Does that all make sense?

I'm trying to play the publishing game. Authors need to learn the rules of what works and what doesn't. I attended a seminar about publishing facts that was designed to inform self-pubbers, but the stats are helpful for anyone really! 3-4 books out a year is what the most successful authors do. More than that, well you are the bomb! (*ehem* Kade.) I don't see myself ever writing that fast. I simply don't take the time to do it because I have other priorities. Maybe as the kids are older and the words and ideas are flowing, I can do 3-4 a year, but for now I will be chuffed to get to 2-3 a year. (So far, it has been 1 per year! FYI)

So, I think that's all. I don't know where my day has gone. I am going to share this post, eat lunch, and write (JOCK 2 title here).

My main character is named Chris. I haven't had a Chris so I thought it was a good name. Chris is a soccer player! (Shocker) I'm thinking blond or dark blond hair, bright happy smile. Everyone's friend. Captain of the soccer team! This is a 1st person narrative from Chris's POV. I haven't come up with a last name yet. I DO have the love-interest's name, but I'm not sharing yet ;)

Anyway… talk at ya laterz….

Wade
xoxox

Don't forget to order your copy of my latest HERE!

Reviews of MA

In case some of you missed the "buzz" about Misplaced Affection, I thought I'd list a few reviews. :)

Since its release on January 1, 2015  have had several 5 STAR reviews and a couple 4's.

The first (5 STAR) review was from fellow author  Jeff Adams who said, "I love a book that takes me on an emotional roller coaster ride… I went back and forth between being delighted, angry, sad, and back again. … The story's multiple threads all wrap up nicely at the end and make for an extremely satisfying read." (Read the rest of the review on Jeff's Blog.)

Then Dan over at Love Bytes Reviews gave it 5 STARS & said, "Not surprisingly, another great book by Wade Kelly…. The characters in the book ran the gamut of emotions with me… I really liked this book and recommend it to all… You will love this book. Go one-click it right now while you are thinking about it." (Read the entire review on Love Bytes.)

Taryn Plendl, a fellow author of M/F romance, gave Misplaced Affection 5 STARS and posted on Amazon that it was "Another adventurous ride through the angst, pain, tears, struggles, and ultimately joy that Wade Kelly is known for… Wade has brought to the surface topics that will make you think and ultimately feel raw after reading, but she ties it up perfectly with an ending you'll love." (Read more on Amazon.)

Jason at Joyfully Jay Reviews probably gave the longest review I've ever had on one of my books that I can remember to date. He gave MA 5 STARS and dug deep into every thought it stirred up in him. He said, "Kelly doesn't pull any punches, that's for sure. Misplaced Affection is a complex look at coming out, God and religion, life, death, and moving forward with life. … I have been noticing annoying and flawed characters more often lately… and absolutely love it when the reason comes to light and shows how deep and complex the character ends up being… No one can say that Kelly goes for the easy stuff, nope, not at all. Worth reading? Absolutely! …" (full review at Joyfully Jay.)

The Multitasking Momma got her head "out of the oven" long enough to give Misplaced Affection 5 STARS and a "Recommended Read" badge. :) She said, "The best thing about this particular read is that even if the drama could twist and turn the reader's emotions up as could be expected from Ms. Wade herself, it can also be quite amusing and frustrating and hilarious, just like JOCK was…. Over all, this was not what I expected and must highly recommend it to all…" (Complete review here.) And though the review was very nice, I think the bit she added at the end about me was extra special and extremely kind :) "(Note from multitaskingmomma: I learned to read and love M/M books as written by the creative mind of W.K. and soon became a huge fan of both author and woman. What I love about her works is her ability to dig deep into the psyche of young men and women and through that, create characters who are very real and so can be terrifying to accept because of that 'realness'. Misplaced Affection is a surprise read for although it does come from the same writer, it is different from the rest of her works. Yes the writer is the same, but the style is different and so the impact is different as well.) "

Misplaced Affection has gotten 10 ratings on Goodreads so far:

I like where it says 100% of people liked it!

With the 2 4-STAR ratings coming from Jodi and Gwendolyn. I haven't seen Jodi's review, but it should be up soon on Smoocher's Voice as I am scheduled for a stop there today on my Blog Tour!

But Gwendolyn doesn't give out the stars easily, so a 4 from here is HUGE! She said, "I spend most of the book wanting to smack Flynn, but you redeemed him rather well. Really good story." Thank you so much!! :)

Also, Simone, whoever you are, THANK YOU for the 5 stars :)

I know I can't hang my hat on Goodreads reviews and ratings as they are generally listed by less than 10% of the people who buy the book. But I am grateful for those who take the time to list reviews online. Goodreads, AMAZON, Dreamspinner (if the case may be), AReBooks, etc. THANK YOU!

I have even found that I can find Amazon reviews on the UK site. I didn't know that before. I found a wonderful 5 STAR review over there from a lovely reader in London! She said, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe how amazing this book is… Every emotion felt so real, I can't describe it. Best I've read for a while, Wade Kelly is defo a force to be watched! Amazing author." (Read it all here!) Thank you sweet girl :)

And I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for a review from my sweet Aussie fan JezebelSpike who affectionately calls me "possum". :) (I love that!) She doesn't do Facebook, only Twitter, but I have found her reviews of WLINE and TCOL on the Aussie Amazon, which right now has Misplaced Affection on a best seller list. LOL… at #878  hahahha.

JezebelSpike's thoughts on my other books can be found here: When Love is Not Enough, The Cost of Loving. Where she says, "If you like your heart being pushed and pulled and being made to simply FEEL, then give Wade Kelly's (books) a go!"


That is all I have time for today. I will update you all if anything noteworthy goes on. I am on Smoocher's Voice some time today with an interview. Keep checking out the other stops on the blog tour!

Hugs.
Wade

Gift Cards

I love GIFT CARDS. I do. Generally, when I want something I buy it anyway so when people ask "What do you want for Christmas, birthday, boxing day (lol, jk)?" I normally don't have an answer. I'm thinking, "Well, I wanted _____, but I already bought it two weeks ago." My answer is normally gifts to Kohl's, Target, or iTunes. Those are the most useful in my mind.

This year, I did tell my son about a perfume I wanted and he got it for me. YAY!! And my husband actually paid attention and bought me a few things I liked. One year, he bought me the very same earrings he bought me five years previously and that was sort of a bummer. I was thinking that he didn't pay attention to what he bought. But this year was good. I got a Perry the Platypus blanket. :D I love Perry. And he got me some DVDs of old movies I have on VHS. Singing In The Rain is a classic that I haven't seen for years because I don't have a VHS player. Now I can watch it!

Did I get any gift cards? Well, sort of……

My son asked me if I "take payments in gift cards?" I wasn't sure what he meant, but in the past I have exchanged cash for cards because I can use the cards just fine. Especially Target when I spend loads of money there. He gave me one to Olive Garden and one for iTunes, but then gave me cash to make $100 even. I thought that odd. Then he gave me another $10 and said he now owed me $100.00. To explain, he owed me $210 for something I paid for when he had no money. IN THE SUMMER! I was not going to let this particular debt go and he knew it. (explanation not necessary.) But, to be paid back in gifts cards was not what I meant. I can't pay his debt in gift cards. I DID get money from my mom for Christmas, so I will most likely exchange his gift cards with my personally money and use the cash to pay back the "family money" account for the debt I paid for him back in the summer, but this was not my plan.

All that to say, I now have some gifts cards! I am fine with it over all. I was only going to use my cash for advertising, not on other stuff. I love iTunes because I normally buy my audiobooks off there. Misplaced Affection doesn't come out in AUDIO until the spring. So if you have an iTunes gift card you can't buy my audio YET. (Hint: Save it.) But iTunes also sells eBooks! Amazon is great for eBooks. I don't own a Nook or a Kobo or Kindle Fire or anything. I read off my computer. So it got me thinking… Did you all get GIFT CARDS for Christmas? Or Hanukkah? etc… Gift Cards are great because you can pick the gift. I have several eBooks I want to get. Most of the time I go to Dreamspinner or ARe. But if I have an Amazon gift card, that is fun!

So now I have to peruse the iTunes list of audiobooks. I'm interested in:

Come Onto These Yellow Sands
A Ghost of a Chance
All Kinds of Tied Down
Morning Report
Brokenhearted: Hope Cove

Your thoughts? Good choices?

Anyway, I'm hosting MORE people over my house today. An "open house" sort of deal, but I need to have food. I cooked a turkey and made curried pumpkin soup. I need to make cookies and maybe mashed potatoes or something.

I'll be back again blogging next week as the release date for my new novel gets closer. In the meant time, there is still time to PRE-ORDER Misplace Affection and have it delivered right to your Kindle. (or so Amazon says.)

AMAZON   |   KOBO   |   iTUNES    |     BARNES & NOBLE

Blog tour starts Wednesday over on Jeff Adams' Blog WITH A VERY COOL INTERVIEW. I hope you will stop by and take a look!

RELEASE DAY  is Thursday! And I am on The Novel Approach talking about my book. I hope you will catch all the excerpts on the blog tour. I made them all different and I try to be fun!

Impulse Buying

Hello,

I don't know about you, but when I shop for others I often bring home something for myself. I see it while I'm in line to pay or whatever and somehow it is in my cart. This Christmas season is no different except that I started the day after Thanksgiving. BLACK FRIDAY! My daughter wanted to go shopping with her friend and so I took them. There were some good deals so I bought a couple pair of jeans, a coat, 2 T-shirts, and a dress for myself. The deals were good! I had to take them. I also bought some Christmas gifts for the family.

Since that Friday in November, I have been buying presents and collecting a list of what I bought. I was done a LONG TIME AGO and yet I still keep buying things. I try to even out the spending but it is hard when the 18 yr old gets a computer. So, I wasn't going to "den things out", but simply try to be fair and even out the younger children. Somehow I bought WAY too much for my youngest and now 4 of those presents are for her birthday in March. She will not miss them and this way the money is closer. PLUS, her birthday is done.

My husband was the next issue. He wanted a smoker for Christmas. Fine. He wanted it EARLY so he could smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving. Fine. He got it early. But then Christmas gifts were sparse since I bought him the smoker. What to do? I came up with some small things and he will be fine with those, but I also know that he is jealous that I am now traveling a lot "for work". (hahhaha: Work) So I booked a trip to Orlando in February. His Birthday is in February so I thought it could be an early present and he could open it in December. Then, I thought, we've been to that conference a couple times. Maybe it would be too boring going again? So… BEER FESTIVAL! I booked another trip for May.

You have to understand, he never goes anywhere. He only works. All. The. Time. The American Craft Beer Festival is in Boston in May and I thought a weekend there would be cool. Fly up Friday stay tip Sunday. So I did it. I call this another "impulse" buy. I was done for Christmas. DONE! But yet I find another thing to buy. I think he will like it, but I don't know how I'm gonna pay for it. Oh well. Some things you just have to do.

All I asked for for Christmas was love and hugs. Something as a mother I never seem to get enough of. I also wanted to publish a book. Well, I made that happen!

Misplaced Affection comes out January 1, 2015.

I have a blog tour set up, so now I need to write posts for it. Last Saturday I was over on Sharing Links and Wisdom with an excerpt for you. A fun Christmas scene with a jockstrap… hahhaa :) 

Misplaced Affection is up for PRE-ORDER on iTunes, Kindle/Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The PAPERBACK will be for sale on Amazon and Create Space January 1. 

My thoughts for you all are, if you like to IMPULSE BUY, then grab a little something for yourself :) hahah. 

I am happy with this, but then the issue come up that I no longer have a back list. I need to WRITE in order to have more publications! argh. Not really in a writing mood. I think that is why NaNoWritMo never works out for me. I have tried it several years, but November is a busy month because of Thanksgiving. December, likewise, is a busy month because of Christmas. I've been buying and wrapping and baking. I like decorating and putting up the tree, but all this gets in the way of writing. I want to write, and I have loads of ideas in my head, but no time to just sit quietly and get the thoughts out. Even while writing this post, I was interrupted as I had a quarrel with my son. 

I think it is the age. He is 18. He knows everything and I am just an over protective, concerned mother who never lets him do anything. (Not true.) I think I let him do anything and everything he wants. I think I am too easy. I think I give in and get taken advantage of. He doesn't see it that way and it hurts.

Anyway…. December has been busy. I hope to get time to write soon before I go insane. I can only obtain the voices so long before I crack.

Talk soon!

Hugs to everyone,

Wade

Waiting

From the waiting room of the surgical center..... All I have to do is wait, so while I do I thought I'd download the blogger app for my new iPhone and make use of my time.

My son had ACL surgery. It went well. He is a soccer player so injuries are a part of the game. He will be fine. But, as a Mom, waiting isn't my favorite thing. I watch Grey's Anatomy, and coupled with my wild imagination, it is hard not to think of that .00005% chance of complication. So, I was playing 2048 to distract myself. It worked.

Note: I suck. My high score is like 7400 something.

Along with the waiting in the waiting room add he is I recovery waking up, I am also "waiting" for my new release: Misplaced Affection. (I don't know how to. Links I my post from my phone, so I'll upload them later.) It was brought to my attention that in a post I spread online to advertise the pre-order links, that I miss spelled the title. I wrote Misplaced Perfection.... Lol.... I then wondered if that qualified as a Freudian slip? Ha ha ha. Am I subconsciously suggesting this book is "perfection"? I found that funny, but did go and correct my posts.

I guess I have to wait and see if you all think misplaced affection is indeed "perfection." I don't know how to comment on my own stuff and not sound full of myself. On the other hand, I've spend years posting blogs full of self doubt. All I know is that I tried really hard on this one. Names Can Never Hurt Me I think wad the best I'd ever written... Until now. MA (Misplaced Affection) is pretty darn good. Remember I took a grammar class last year. The story started there. We had to write a bit describing a painting. That is my prologue. The story fell together from there when I postulated that the best man might be in love with the groom. Cliche, yes. But it is a Wade Kelly story. That means nothing is straight forward and hopefully not very predictable. Again, you tell me!

In order to hear what you think I have to wait. I hate waiting!!!! Waiting is stupid! Although, it is only fair since I make you wait forever for my next book. Lol. Sorry. I promise 2015 will be awesome!

Sip, while you all wait for Misplaced Affection to release on January 1,2015 I say go and pre order it. Buy something for yourself while you shop for the holidays. 

Anyway.... I'm going to sit and wait to see my son and take him home. I can't wait!! And I wait top hear what you think about my next book. I really think it is my best work yet!! 

Love and hugs.

Wade

Where I was, where I am, where I'm going.

I know it sounds like a broken record when I keep talking about the same things. I don't mean to, but it is what it is and this is where my life and choices have led me. When I started writing in 2006 I had no idea where my writing would lead. I sat down and wrote, and for the first time I had a complete story. (a sci-fi trilogy) That changed over time after joining Authonomy in 2008. In 2009 I wrote a paranormal, gay, romance and it was PUBLISHED in 2010. And then things happened in 2010…. I see it as a good thing now. I do. It was NOT fun to go through, but had I not experienced what I did, then When Love Is Not Enough would not have been written. That story, one which includes suicide within the story of a gay romance, has touched so many people. Probably not hundreds, definitely not thousands, but some. I think those people are worth the pain I went through. Books MEAN SOMETHING to readers when the readers connect on a deep level and relate to the characters. If I helped someone work through personal pain because they could see themselves AS my character (which happened because many people have said that and continue to), then I think my book is successful. I will not get rich in a monetary means writing about suicide. I WILL NOT. But I succeeded in string the emotions of many people and caused them to think. That is one of my goals as a writer: I WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK!

And then I moved on… I wrote about church persecution in The Cost of Loving, hate crimes in My Roommate's A Jock? Well, Crap!, and labeling, bullying and name-calling in Names Can Never Hurt Me. And in Misplaced Affection I talk about child abuse and grief. I want to STIR the reader's thoughts to consider the way we live and the things we say and do. I cannot change people, just as no one can CHANGE me. But if I present material that makes a person pause and consider their actions, or the actions of others thrust upon them, or their choices, or how they feel about circumstances out of their control etc., then I think that is a WIN for me. I want my words to matter.

So my thoughts for those who disagree with my content is to PRAY FOR MY WORDS. I have always asked that. By demanding I CHANGE, you do get any anywhere. You are a sounding gong. Get to know me. See my heart. Become involved with WHY I write what I do. If you continue to disagree then we can discuss it. Sex in literature is currently on the table by MANY groups, including romance groups. IS IT NECESSARY OR NOT? Romance novels drive the industry. Without ROMANCE NOVELS, books sales would die. I forget the statistic I learned in a seminar, like 60% or something crazy! WHY? Because the audience or "target group" of middle-aged women in general is the largest group of people who suck in books and drive the market. (don't quote me, but I think I'm close to what the guy from Smashwords said.) Most romance novels contain sexual content. Some more than others. In publishing, you have to have a "target" audience in mind. For YEARS that is why a genre-crossing novel could not be published. Until maybe 5 years ago, I think, to query agents with a novel that CROSSED genres was basically futile. Traditional publishers don't like CROSSING genres because they don't know how to market it. If you can't market something, you can't sell it. NOW, there are indie publishers that snatch them up. Horror-Romance? Sci-fi/mystery, GAY/romance, paranormal romance, etc… mix them up. Readers are finding what they like because the choices are broader.
I wrote gay, paranormal romance in 2009 because I had a specific audience (person) in mind. He knows who he is. I didn't really plan it ahead, it fell together and BAM! was good enough to get published! Publishing is NOT an easy thing for those who don't know.

So, I'm published and then all hell breaks loose in 2010 and I get depressed etc… I turn to WHY and what this was all over. I wrote GAY characters. How dare I? Um, because I had a gay friend. I wrote something HE could relate to. I was writing for the specific audience. That is what an author does. But after all the hoopla over it being because I wrote a GAY character, and after EVERYONE I knew stopped talking to me, I thought about it. I thought about how harsh people are with homosexuals to the point of some thinking "God hates Gays!" (the Westboro Baptist mantra) Why wouldn't they? (I thought) I wasn't even gay and people LEFT a restaurant after I walked in. People stopped talking to me, and they shook their heads in pity, over what? A book? I am not even gay and this is how I was treated. So I wrote about suicide. Not because I felt suicidal, but because the story God gave me (yes, I believe my stories come from God) was one of pain and condemnation over sexuality to the point of the character taking his own life. He realized his mother would NEVER love him for who he was and ended it. Ironically, in 2010 after this book was basically complete and submitted, 7 people killed themselves around the country over being bullied for sexuality in school. YOUNG PEOPLE! I saw this as a sign. I do. I still do. Every time I question whether or not I should continue writing gay romance stories, something else tragic hits the news.

My target audience is made up partially by gay men. Gay young men. Teens and younger 20 somethings suck up books just as much as middle aged women. Now that there are GAY romances out there, this younger generation is finding characters they can relate to. Some stories provide hope that life can be better than being confined to a basement because your parents see you as an embarrassment. Life can get better than your parents throwing you out at the age of 15 because you came out as LGBT. These are basically "throw away kids" because many are "religious" families who can't bear having a gay member so it is easier to throw them out. What teen is capable of living on the street, I ask you? NONE!

Like it or not, they also end up having sex or selling themselves in to prostitution because they have nothing else. Writing SAFE SEX could help someone pause and think about their actions. Maybe. Writing a character that is raped after a random internet hook-up MAY make someone think, oh, I never thought about that before. Maybe I shouldn't go. Heck, even women I know where warned about dating a boy they'd just met because they could rape them. Kids don't' think about that! Writing real life situations makes readers aware!

Will I always write sex? Probably not. Will I always write gay romance? probably not. Why do I say that? Because my mind and creativity is driven by my characters. I can not believe that I am so limited as to never write anything else. I have a VAST imagination. In time, I can see all kinds of characters and worlds coming out! I have HUGE dreams and MANY ideas of what I can write. One story at a time. One theme at a time!

I believe that God is sovereign over everything. I believe I have something to say that is important to the people who read my stories and that is why God has allowed me the privilege of writing and publishing them. When God's direction changes, my stories will change. Until then, I will write what I think is meaningful to the world I live in NOW.

My stories reflect the world as I see it, and as I live it. These are MY thoughts and my experiences. I do not hear someone else's story and write it. That is their story to tell. I tell my own.

That said….. Some know, some don't…. I was asked to stop teaching youth because of the content of my stories. What I see as literary device is not seen the same by the leadership of the church. Not teaching youth is very sad. But, I am at peace with it. I see it as a business decision. Any church would probably have to "cover their butt" in case someone found out I wrote gay romance novels and then blamed me for why their son was gay. (Because I MAKE people gay. -That's a joke.) These kids will be fine. They have other's to teach them. I am still friends with them and it is not like I have disappeared off the face of the Earth. I am still there for them. But I am also there for people like Sam, who didn't have a Christmas tree until he was 19 yrs old. Or had his first Thanksgiving Dinner with a loving group of friends at 18, because his family was not so nice. My heart goes out to people like that. The kids I know have wonderful families. The kids that are out there, in the world around me, have not so nice experiences. I want to write for and encourage THEM! These "throw away kids" are the ones who need to see there is HOPE in the world when all they experience might tell them the opposite.

And to the others in my "target audience", they also need to think sometimes too. Older men and women shape the lives of these younger folks. Help them! Encourage them! Guide them! Don't throw them out because you can't "deal with a gay member of the family"! These are people! People need love and there is a short supply out there sometimes.

So yeah, pray for my words, because I want to change the world!

The UP COMING Release: Misplaced Affection

Yes, you read that right! In just 7 short weeks and 2 days, Misplaced Affection will be coming your way! I am super excited about this.

The manuscript has passed through the first stage of edits. As it stands, the novel is about 138k. That is VERY long! Why is it so long? Probably because I had lots of details to add. hahaha. It is a very layered story with three main characters and lots of angst and "life" to develop. I LOVE this story! Love it! I think the character arcs are good and realistic. I think there are many many scenes that will make people cry.

On the Wade Kelly Scale (Below) this is about a 9. Why? Well, I talk about tough subjects. (Imagine that!) Grief, child abuse, fanatically religious parents, fear, pride, and as well as plenty of stupid things that jealous teenaged boys do. This is a NA book. "New Adult." The characters start at about 16/18 and end around 20/22. This is NOT a M/M/M book. Repeat: NOT! The term "love triangle" is closer to the storyline. I know lots of readers like to see all the details int he blurb and be prepared, but if I listed all three characters that play a major role, they would think Ménage.

Blurb:

Clichés are overrated and loving the boy next door may not be as genuine as the love Flynn sacrifices along the way.

Knowing he’s gay and acting on it were two separate notions to Flynn Brewer until he’d met Keith, his first boyfriend, in high school. Before then, being gay wasn’t as real as the pain of living day-to-day. Flynn’s fear of coming out to his religious best friend Zach in their conservative community destroyed his relationship with Keith, but Flynn rationalized his avoidance and bottled up the truth until it was regrettably too late.

Zachary Mitchell was the perfect son and role model as far as the outside world could tell. Active in his church while attending college, Zach had a personality that could sell anything, do anything, or be anything. Except, he couldn’t sell the truth to himself. Just when he was ready to reveal his internal conflict to Flynn and expose the darkness lurking in his heart, and in his “perfect” family, Zach met a girl and got sucked deeper into his chasm of deception.

Caught in a living Newton’s Cradle of his own design, Flynn must chose between idealistic childhood fantasy, or a tempestuous passion that could ignite the very air he breathes.  

Main characters: Flynn, Zach, and Keith. How they all three fit into the story, you will have to read and find out!

I am currently setting up a BLOG TOUR with all your favorite bloggers!

December 19th I start with a "Cover reveal" on GGR-Reviews. I think Scott will LOVE my cover ;)

Dec 31st I plan on stopping by Jeff Adams' blog for a little fun pre-release interview or something. :)

JANUARY 1, 2015  NEW YEARS DAY! is Release day for Misplaced Affection! Whoot! I will be over at The Novel Approach.

Jan 2 - The Blogger Girls
Jan 4 - Head in the Oven with the Multi-tasking Momma!
Jan 5 - Smoocher's Voice - I think Jodi might have some interesting things to ask me :)
Jan 7 - Prizm Book Alliance
Jan 8 - Love Bytes Reviews (I think Dan is going to like this one!)
Jan 9 - Joyfully Jay

I will also have a review out by Rainbow Book Reviews, and a date somewhere in there with Rainbow Gold Reviews. LOTS going on! And I have to write a unique blog post for each one!

So far, I have only released the Prologue and Chapters 1 & 2. I will repeat those posts with the edited version between now and January 1, but I am saving the special excerpts for the bloggers. Some of these scenes  will have you tearing up! Be prepared.

……….And then another cool thing yesterday………

I persuaded Jason Frazier to do the AUDIO of Misplaced Affection! OMGosh! So cool! Not only that, but he is going to FLY IN from Californ-IA to meet me in New York at the Rainbow Book Fair to sign stuff! I'm doing a book signing thing with JASON FRAZIER! heeheehee.

So lots of things are going on in the next couple months.

1. I am nominated for the Rainbow Awards as a finalist. Winners announced in December.

2. Release date for Misplaced Affection and Blog Tour

3. Nominated in MANY categories on the Goodreads M/M Choice Awards and the winners are announced in January.

4. The recording of Misplaced Affection by the one and only Jason Frazier!

5. The Lambda Literary Awards announce finalists in March. (I am entered. Fingers crossed!)

6. Somewhere in here is the release of the Audio of Misplaced Affection

7. The Rainbow Book Fair in New York! Holiday Inn Mid Town on W. 57th street April 18th if you want to stop by and say HI! (Jason Frazier will be there!)

Come back soon for updates. I am super excited!

Cover reveal coming soon! YAY!!! I love it!

From Dreamspinner Press.