Getting back to normal

School started Monday and although I have been waiting for our schedule to go back to "normal" it has been a rough adjustment. 8th grade apparently has LOADS of homework. Tons! My daughter was not prepared for that. Much reading is required and she is a slow reader. So far, she has kept up with her homework, but only because she skipped gymnastics last night. She is VERY stressed about keeping up her grades and is considering quitting gymnastics because that takes 16 hours a weeks of her time. She doesn't know when she can do her homework during the week if she has that mon, wed, fri, & sat. So, she thinks she has to take a break. It is not an easy decision. She loves it so much. But the demand for her time is equally stressful. Do you shoot for As or do less work sand settle for Bs and Cs? My daughter wants As.

In elementary school she didn't get As so she never gave much thought to the grades. In middle school she matured, got organized, and found that she COULD receive As if she applied herself. Almost straight As in fact. With that in mind, she has pushed for As as much as she can. This is not something I placed upon her, but something she wanted for herself. She knows that is she tries and only gets a B, that I am fine with it as long as she tries. But she, herself, wants to A. She knows it is possible. This year she is in Honors English, which has lots of reading and grammar. She sees how much work she will have to put in and knows she needs to make the decision to remain in gymnastics and give up sleep to do the homework, or give up gymnastics. My son functions on 5 hours of sleep, but my daughter does not.

To skips two classes a week is not really an option only because she will not develop the skills required for competition, she would only be slagging behind in the class. A large chunk of the years fees is due Friday. (Tomorrow.) I feel bad for her and we have talked about her decisions, but they are her divisions to make. I want to present the facts and help her think things through, but I will not demand she quit or she will resent it. If she stays in, then we will have to deal with it.

The other children…. My son is a senior. WOW! He is so grown up. He has Varsity soccer this fall. Graduates in June. We have college applications and everything to think about. I think he will do well if the girlfriend doesn't distract him too much. And my youngest, the 4th grader, LOVES school! She is very happy to go. Her homework is reading and she picked a book on bats. So, we are learning about bats.

My life….. Back to Normal? Maybe. The blog tour was insane. I don't think I've ever done that before. Nope. I don't think so. I believe The Cost of Loving had a small scale blog tour, but nothing like NAMES. I wrote different blog posts for Names Can Never Hurt Me because it was better to have unique posts than reiterate.

Blog Tour:

Joyfully Jay - August 4th - WHY THIS TITLE, WHY THIS BOOK? I talk about my inspiration for this book and how I wanted the readers to think about and consider how words or labels can hurt. I also have to point out that Joyfully Jay blew me away with a 5 star review. I DO NOT think they give 5 stars out easily. Sammy (the reviewer) really seemed to get my intent and I have never met her or talked to her. But still, she got me! If something just didn't rub you right about my book, read her review and maybe it will explain why. Just a thought.

Prism Book Alliance - August 7th - 10 "Interesting" Things About Wade Kelly. Are they interesting? IDK. You tell me.

The Blogger Girls - August 11th - A LONG TIME COMING. I talk about why this book took forever to get out there. But I also relate to the readers how it took Nick a long time to understand and realize that he was a bully in school by not standing up for those who needed defending. A bully by observation if not in action. Morgan gave me a 4.5 star review. Never Met Morgan but I am so happy she liked it! (This came out ON release day along with Jeff's review.)

Rainbow Book Reviews - Not exactly a "stop" in the blog tour, but Lena reviewed NAMES and at that point I think I only had two out there. Lena also does NOT give 5 stars lightly so I was truly excited to see she really liked my book.

The Smoocher's Voice - August 13 - Jodi interviews me about NAMES but also my other books and my inspiration for writing gay romance.

The Novel Approach - August 14th - Invoking an Emotional Response - YES, that's me! I want to push readers to FEEL. And apparently I did when Jackie reviewed the book and gave it 5 stars.

Jeff&Will - August 16 - Jeff is a friend and therefore came up with some interesting questions to do for an INTERVIEW! He also gave me a fabulous review! 5 stars. And tells readers I wrote a wonderful book and how much he enjoyed the internal dialogue of my character.

August 17th was a live Facebook chat which was interesting. Keeping up with questions and posts on a live chat "WALL" was very difficult. Unlike a "group chat", I had to refresh the screen every two seconds to even know someone left a comment. each response was in a different "NESTED" line and finding the commenter was a challenge. I did it! I chatted. But it was harder than I imagined it to be.

GGR Review - August 20th - Scott Burkett did an amazing review as well as hosting me as a guest blogger. Not only did he give NAMES 5 stars, but also mentioned how MY BOOK would be a good resource to young people who are trying to sort out their sexuality. He has a category on his blog for "Misfits" recommendations and I highly suggest you visit that page. (I own all those books so far.) In my guest blog spot I talk about POV and why I write in 1st and 3rd depending on the book. Scott liked how I wrote NAMES in 1st person so I talk about the challenges in doing that.

Multitasking Momma - August 22nd - I wrote about how I wrote about memories of my dad. Often, writing is the best way for me to get out how I feel about things. JP was kind enough to host me as a guest blogger AND give me a review! JP has loved my books int he past, but it wasn't guaranteed she'd like this one. Well, she did. :) Guest Blog post: I talked about. And her REVIEW came with a warning: Readers beware, you may fall in love with the unlikeliest of heroes.

Rainbow Gold Reviews - August 25th - Hosted me and I thought I'd talk about The Wade Kelly Special and my angst scale. The angst scale is very important for readers to know about because I tend to write all over the pain scale. I write funny books and I write serious books. NAMES is in the middle of the scale. Refer to it often when considering what you want to read next.

Tammy Middleton - August 26th - Tams hosted me on a stop, as well as reviewed my book. I talked about my inspiration to write and how I keep that "spark" going. Music is the key for me. I didn't know that Tams reviews for Portia De Moncur on MM Good Book Reviews. That was cool. I met Portia at GRL last year :) Again, another 5 stars.

Joyfully Jay - August 27th - Back to where I started with Jay! I talk about my blog tour experience as well as my CON experiences over the past year. GRL was where I began last year because it was my first con ever, and now I look forward to going there again in October.

All of these stops have different excerpts of NAMES and with each I relate it to the topic of the blog post. If you want to get to know me, I suggest hopping to each stop. PLUS, I had giveaways at most!

It may seem like all I get are 5 stars, well I don't.   5 stars (32)  |  4 stars (34)  |  3 stars (17)  |  2 stars (1)  |  1 star (3)  There are some who just don't like my writing and I am learning over time to let it go. People all have different opinions.

Writing:

My routine was disrupted by the tour. And also by summer. I was driving my children all over creation and it seemed like this summer went by like a steam engine rolling downhill. (I may have used that description in a book, but not in this context.)

I am back on (part of the) track. I will push to write everyday. I know I need to. I almost don't know why I set goals as I never keep them. I strive hard to keep up the home life and the writer life, but often the "write" gets set aside. I came up with a new idea the other day and that helps elevate the stress of writing pain and angst. Funny is what people like so I need to do something fun every now and again. I'll release a blurb when the book has more than 700 words. ;)

Misplaced Affection is coming along slowly and I have the feeling I need to simplify the plot or it will not fly. We'll see.

I was considering Self-pub for a little while, but money is tight. It takes money (at least some) to pay for cover art and editing and creating the book. Right now, I don't see it happening. I guess I'll try not to worry too much until I actually have a finished novel to work with. I found an editor, but I would still need a graphic artist. IDK. Things for later. I need to write!


PRE-ORDERS:

Names Can Never Hurt Me from Dreamspinner Press is currently #10 on their Best Seller List.
If you are going to GRL, you can PRE-ORDER paperbacks of any of my books and I will bring them to you in Chicago to sign :)  I have an updated the form HERE, but it only tells me what to bring not who ordered it. Sending a payment through Paypal with a note works best. I will message you back to let you know I got the payment and I know what to bring. Thanks to Jason and Lauren for sending me a note attached :) PAYPAL: writerwadekelly@gmail.com   cost is $14.50 for any paperback of mine. See you in Chicago!


FRIEND FRIDAYS:

Previously I have hosted Sue Brown, Jeff Adams, Gregory Payne,  Chris Shirley, Tammy Middleton, and DS Kenn. Coming up on August 29- Stephen Del Mar.

If you are on TWITTER, come follow me :)

Over and out!

Misplaced Affection, prologue.

This is the prologue excerpt, to be followed by Chapter 1 later today. WHY separate them? Um, they are way too long for one blog post. (In my opinion.)

The blurb to MA (get used to the shortened name,) needs to be changed. It WAS:

Two best friends, one huge secret, and a wedding that stands in the way.

Flynn Brewer has a secret, (two secrets)—he’s gay and he’s in love with the boy next door. Flynn’s known for years how he felt, but he’s kept his secret because he’s convinced that telling his best friend, Zach, could destroy their relationship. And then, when Flynn finally works up the nerve to tell him, Gwendolyn and her sister enter the picture and mess up everything. Flynn couldn’t say the words now. Not when “I love you” sounded like a lame attempt at hiding his jealousy over Gwendolyn. Besides… so cliché.

Zachary Mitchell is every girl’s heartthrob and every boy’s wet dream. Quarterback from high school turned horticulturalist, Zach has a personality that could sell anything, do anything, or be anything. Except, he can’t sell the truth—to himself. He's been living a lie ever since his best friend Nate, Flynn’s brother, died ten years prior. And just when he thinks he’s ready to talk about it, and tell Flynn how he feels, he meets a girl and gets swept away.

Months later, both friends stand ready at a wedding neither one wants to go through with. The best man, dying on the inside as the only man he’s ever loved commits himself in marriage—to a woman; and the groom, going through the motions of what is expected of him, even though, in his heart, he’d rather be saying “I do” to someone else. At this point, only God could intervene to avert disaster.

Although this sounds good, it's not exactly accurate. AND this only reveals the romance side of the story. What about the angst? What about the grief? What about the abuse, fear, and religious contention? Have I mentioned that this novel is what Beth and I coined a "Wade Kelly Special?" For those who don't know the definition, it is on my WEBSITE.

… A "Wade Kelly Special" is any novel I write which contains:

1) pain,

2) angst,

3) tears,

4) character soul searching,

5) multiple POVs, and

6) flashbacks or time jumps with dates to keep the reader straight.

Basically, the Wade Kelly Special rakes a reader's heart over a roller coaster of turmoil and emotion before the end.  Concentration is needed. These are not "fluffy" reads. Not every novel I write can boast ALL 6 points of my criteria. My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! is a fine example. 1) It is not painful. 2) It does not provoke an ocean of tears. *It's too funny for that! And the biggest discounting factor: the reader's heart is not ripped to shreds reading it. Sorry, JOCK, you don't qualify as a Wade Kelly Special. And Names Can Never Hurt Me doesn't even come close.

Novels that fit that category:

When Love is Not Enough

The Cost of Loving

Misplaced Affection

Notice the ones that do not qualify! On my "books" tab, I have an angst scale. (Like the one below)

I made this chart to help readers KNOW what they are getting into BEFORE they read. I will update it when I write another book. And in looking at my feeble list of books, I DEFINITELY NEED TO WRITE MORE!!

Today I hope to update the "BLURB" to fit more of the other things in. But how? And how much should I give away? More than likely the prologue and possibly chapter 1 would be up as an "excerpt." Do readers read the excerpts? If you read the blurb and then the excerpt, you (as a reader) would see there is more to this book than a love story. I will think on it. Comment below if you have thoughts.

Here is the Prologue, and later today CHAPTER 1, of Misplaced Affection. My current Work In Progress (WIP). A=Oh, and BTW, get used to the acronyms because they are faster to type. Hence, JOCK, NAMES, WLINE, TCOL…. This one is MA!

(And for all you people reading this on Goodreads, I'm sorry it smushed everything together like it does. Maybe you can hop over to the blog post.)

Prologue

August 16, 2014 – The Day

She loves him. I could see it in her eyes—that deep sense of longing—as she peered over her shoulder toward the ushers, family members, and friends who gathered to prepare for the day’s festivities. As workers from the cottage set chairs in rows on the grass and hung strings of white lights in the trees, “Ophelia”, as Zach called her because she looked like she had stepped out of a painting by that title, wandered farther away picking flowers and occasionally wiping the tip of her nose. Why had I noticed? Why had I cared? Because I felt the same disconnect as she wore in her expression. Only, my reaction wasn’t to pick flowers it was to sit on a folding chair on the edge of the activity and sulk.

It was no surprise to me that Amelia is in love with Zachary Mitchell; after all, he had the kind of smile that lights up a room and personality enough to power a city. Zach was vivacious and charismatic and able to draw people in with a glance. Everyone loved Zach, so I couldn’t blame her for falling hard. The only trouble I foresaw rested on her assigned position as Maid of Honor. How would the sweet “Ophelia” handle walking down the aisle on “Prince Hamlet’s” wedding day only to step to the left, and allow room for his bride to join him at the altar? I didn’t know.

I could imagine how hard this was for her. I had been there at the restaurant last July, expecting wings and an exchange of college stories, when out of the blue our annual birthday dinner turned into an engagement party. I certainly hadn’t expected it. I distinctly remembered Amelia’s squeal of delight because it pierced my ears and caused me to promptly cup them, but her high-pitched cry and enthusiastic joy had been immediately followed by vain attempts to hide her tears. I’d had my own issues that day, my own internal debates and misgivings, but I would never forget the look in Amelia’s eyes as she caught me watching her. Her joy had been as bittersweet as mine.

Luckily, Gwendolyn mistook her sister’s sadness and jealousy for happiness and hugged her until she smiled again. Poor girl. She should have said something. I should have said something. But the words got stuck in my throat as I watched the happy couple, Zach and Gwendolyn, hugging and toasting. Gwendolyn asked her sister to stand beside her at the altar two seconds before Zach turned his charm my way. Keith kicked me under the table as I helplessly agreed to be his best man. I had never been able to refuse Zach any request in the past, so it stood to reason that I wouldn’t have been able to change the course of history now. Of course I accepted.

Acceptance—fuck—look where it had gotten us months later; an outdoor wedding straight out of a Shakespearian play complete with strolling minstrels, flutes, mandolins, Victorian gowns, puffy shirts, and poet hats. Stupid hats, they messed up my hair. I didn’t want to be here. My only solace was that Amelia was just as unhappy.

As I watched her stroll along the opposite edge of the wooded garden, picking flowers and sampling wild raspberries, I thought to myself how beautiful she was. Her luminescent auburn locks tumbled down her back, tendrils lifting in the slight breeze, and beckoning those around her, including me, to touch, caress and become lost in the alluring tresses. She had tucked flowers in her flowing mane as a weaver might include jewels among his threads, which made her even more stunning. She looked remarkable in her billowing white gown, and I knew without asking that she longed for Zach to notice. But he wouldn’t. Zach’s eyes were set on the fiery redhead who waited beyond the willow tree for the minstrels to start their strumming.

Our “Ophelia” would never garner “Hamlet’s” attention as she did in the Shakespearian play, which was why she chose to pick flowers instead of attending to her sister, the bride-to-be, Gwendolyn Pierce. Amelia gathered her skirts and created a basket in her arms and filled it as she went with red poppies, white daisies, and blue cornflowers. Oh, to be so carefree and peaceful at a time like this. She looked so serene, but on the inside I knew she was falling apart. Amelia was a casualty of war in a sense, mourning the loss of her heart with the impending words “I do”. So as she stepped barefoot through the grass weeping in silence and collecting flowers like a child, I watched and shed my own tears, mirroring her sorrow, empathizing with her pain, and dying inside because the same woeful revelation suffocated me—I was in love with Zach as well.

Fuck! The revelation hit me like a truck on a highway. Keith had been right all along.

I curled forward over my legs and cradled my face in my hands. What a mess. Less than two hours to go before this stupid wedding and I realize I’m in love with the groom, Amelia’s in love with the groom, and the poor bride is obliviously readying for, possibly, the world’s most clichéd wedding, and the worst part, if it could get any worse, was the unsettled notion I had that Zach was actually gay.

What was I supposed to do with that?

I sat back and scanned the scene again after rubbing the weariness from my eyes and cheeks. Most people seemed joyous. My dad was talking and laughing with Zach’s aunt, one good by-product of this event, but those of our core group seemed to feel the tension. Kelly and Grace weren’t laughing; they were texting. Keith, my ex, was sitting on the opposite side of the chaired area near them but not with them, arms folded, scowl firmly affixed to his face. I wasn’t even sure why he’d come today except that maybe Grace had threatened him.

Tom and Greg were most likely with Zach, my best friend, where I should have been since I was supposed to be his best man. But how could I look Zach in the face after what had happened after the bachelor party last night?

Oh God. “I’m probably going to hell,” I whispered, thinking about what we had done. As a tear forced its way from the corner of my eye I asked aloud, “How did things get so fucked up?”