Throwback Thursday to October 2012!

Hello lovely people. I know I haven't been around, but part of that is due to trying to balance the writer life with the real world wife and mother life. Balancing everything can be hard. I think I used to put the writing off. Like, when something had to give it was my writing because "Oh, I can do that later." Except, later was the next day, or the next, and then a week went by and I forgot how much I need it. Writing is therapy! It helps me deal with my life because I can write the emotion I feel. I am very emotional, did you know that?

Well, the throwback is to 2012 because a post caught my eye: Out of the Funk. (Read original post) or just see below because it's posted here. There were all of 9 views on it, so I doubt very many people read what I said back then. HAHA.

Yeah, so, I really shouldn't write a blog when I feel down. It normally goes away right after I do that! Like now!!! I'm okay. I just get dried up and the words don't flow and the characters are silent. Writer's block! It is definitely a BLOCK. More like a wall sometimes.

But "Names Can Never Hurt Me" is back on track. I have over 18.5k written and most of what I had in 3rd person is now switched to 1st! (Really glad.) I'll need to smooth things out though. Like I can read it over and I KNOW which parts were originally 3rd person and what I added fresh. Nick's voice is more casual in the newer parts. Anyway, that is what edits are for and polish after the whole story is completed, right? So I will get to it. I decided on switching POV's between characters. Not lots, but enough to give a look into the other character. I think it adds depth.

And more editor, (now that I complained in the last blog,) said things are going well and she is pushing through it fine. So glad. Not sure WHEN she will be done, but it is closer to an end when there is an actually start tot he editing. (ya know?)

I guess I don't have loads more to say than that. I'm writing, so I'm not currently reading. For those who "follow" my reviews it might be a little while. I'm in a sort-of groove and I don't need other people's characters confusing my head. I'll get back to reading soon.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Wade :)

I find this interesting! I still feel like I shouldn't blog when I'm feeling down but not because the words don't flow. I think it used to be a sort of self-pity because I JUST COULDN'T WRITE and I was bummed about it. And, often when I'm down now it is because of something someone in my real life says to me about what I write. Ya know, all that crap I deal with and dealt with doesn't go away. I stopped whining about it, but the nay-sayers are still there and they get me down sometimes. But what got me, and this is just a BREIF mention about it since this post is not about that, is that I was questioned why I don't "recoil" from it. The "IT" most likely being gay sex, gay relationships, or homosexuality in general. Well, when I heard that word, I DID recoil. I recoiled from the user. "Recoil" to ME is a very strong word! To recoil in the sense I took it, seemed impossible and I felt like I had been given a choice. Side with him and "recoil" from homosexuality, or recoil from the person I was talking to in RL and stand defensively in front of people like Matt & Brad, Sam & RICK, or Jeff & Will. Those were the people I thought about in that moment. I thought, "NO!" Jeff is my friend! I love him. I could never recoil because he's gay. I don't think of him like that. I call him my honorary cousin. To me, he and Will are like family. Matt and Brad write so much about life and love that I could never "recoil" from the wisdom I gain from knowing them online and interacting with Matt. And ANYONE who would recoil from Sam is just stupid. That kid has wisdom in spades! He's an amazing inspiration. So yeah, the "battle" is ongoing. But I continue to write about the things that effect me, so yes, you may see more religious content as I see fit, because this is where my passion lies. (JOCK 2, however, has none)

Anyway…. Funny how I talk about NAMES having POV shifts because I took them out! haha. I love Nick's voice. He is a great character. Yes, some people don't like him, but I think he is the most dynamic character I've written. Those who don't give him a chance are missing out!

As before, I am not currently reading because I am writing, but I DID tell my daughter we are reading this summer. So, I will be reading To Kill A Mockingbird with my daughter, and hopefully finish some books I started earlier in the year!

Writing is going swimmingly! I have 34k in 17 days for this latest one! This is the best I've ever done writing! I hope to keep up the trend because I have promised Dreamspinner several books! That translates into more reading for you all once these start getting published. 2016 could be an extremely exciting year for Wade Kelly fans! (Just saying!)

No! Jocks Don't Date Guys (JOCK series, book 2) has been contracted and is about 5 weeks out for start of production. It should come your way in November or December. I was hoping for October, but that is hard when I didn't submit it until May. I need to time projects better. I will! I am writing Book 3, but put it on hold for Banker's Hours because those characters are talking up a storm. It is light and funny and fast paced so it should be a hit. (I hope.)

(Note: this is the first look at the Wade Kelly Scale with 8 titles on it! Three of them are not released yet, but should be the next ones. This is where I believe they sit.)

JOCK 2 is also very light. It's a 3 on the scale because of some "back story" that seeps into the present day events and causes some trauma, but hey, a book with gummy bears and cheerleaders has to be good, right? ahhahaha. I think you'll like that book. It is very sweet. Alonzo may be my favorite character ever. Hard to say. I have a special place for Darian, but Alonzo stole my heart.

Here is the blurb for the one coming out later this year:

No! Jocks Don't Date Guys

What is a sexy soccer stud supposed to do when “following family traditions” falls 180 degrees opposite his closeted ideal?

From birth, Chris Jackson had been schooled on how to land himself a cheerleader. After all, his father married one, and his father’s father before that. Heck, even his older brother married their father’s definition of a stereotypical cheerleader the summer before Chris went off to college. For two years, Chris dodged invasive questions about relationships by blaming his lack of female companionship on grueling practices and heavy coarse loads; but really, his lack of interest in girls period should have given the family a clue. It wasn’t until Chris mentioned meeting a boy that his father’s synapses short-circuited.

Alonzo Martin was anything but a buxom blond. From his black hair, combat boots, and trench coat, to his nail polish and guyliner, the mysterious introvert was not so easily persuaded to go on a date. Alonzo’s insecurities kept Chris at arm’s length, but even his painful past couldn’t compete with the charismatic jock’s winning smile and sense of humor.

When opposites attract, only cheerleaders and gummy bears can overcome fear and family traditions.

So, what do you think? Worth reading? I hope so. As I was reading through it one more time before official edits start, I was truly enjoying it. I love Chris, and I adore Alonzo! 

Ciao for now!

Wade :)

Roller Coaster Week from Hell

This has been the craziest up and down week I think I have ever had. Truly. I mean I normally lead a crazy busy life, but my head is about to explode from all the ups and downs.

Monday I start off with NAMES CAN NEVER HURT ME. My new book! This should be great because it is getting good reviews and people seem to like it. (Which makes me happy.) I've been on several other blog sites including  The Blogger Girls, Smoocher's Voice and today The Novel Approach. (Last week was August 4 - Joyfully Jay, August 7 - Prism Book Alliance ) A new book release gives an author a high right? And then Robin Williams died.

I grew up with Robin Williams. He was in so many movies I can't name them without IMDB. I remember Mork & Mindy from when I was a kid. Dead Poet Society and Good Will Hunting were very powerful films that I will never forget! And then there is the voice of the Genie in Aladdin. My kids watch that. I watch that. And I could mention many more films. It is a sad loss indeed because he made such an impact in the industry for so many years. It wasn't just one movie, it was a lifetime of contributing beautiful acting that moved the soul to laugh and to cry. R.I.P. You will be missed.

Tuesday- I'm riding high again in the morning. NAMES hits #16 on Amazon's Best Seller List for gay romance. That was cool. It has since gone back down to #29, but it could make a surge as people get their copies and read and spread the word. And many reviews have come out. On Goodreads there are 22 ratings, 10 of which are 5 stars. 2 ratings on Amazon that give it 5 stars. I know it will not always get 5 stars, and there are like 6, 3 stars on Goodreads, but I like the 5 stars. Who wouldn't? So far the only down points I've seen are about the length. And I'm okay with that. I'll try to make the sequel a tad shorter. (Of course a tad in space terms is a half a million miles.)

And then I am sitting here and I get an e-mail from A PERSON that rips my heart out and makes me look under the table for people watching me. This person doesn't agree with what I write and told me so, strongly. She goes to my church and this situation brought back all the feelings I had 4 years ago when the pastor showed up at my door and demanded I stop writing. (Basically) It sent me into a fear and paranoia and depression that I never want to revisit, yet this woman's e-mail sent me right there. It took me almost 2 years to start trusting people again. And this has shown me, I still can't. I have to be more cautious. One thing I learned from seeing a counselor in 2010 was that I do not have to share everything with everyone. And I made a mistake here. It is my fault. We hadn't gotten the chance to talk about my vision, my goals, my aspirations. She called me "friend" yet barely knew me. And then she read my book. I don't know which one. maybe JOCK. But it is a love story between men and it contains sex. Therefore it has inappropriate material and somehow I am broken and damaged and need "fixing." Well, I could have told you that anyway, but she was not referring to me in the same manner as I refer to my own faults and brokenness. It hurt. Deeply. Because she doesn't understand WHY I write. She sees black and white from HER perspective and has no clue how deeply I care about people. I don't want another child or younger person to die (Like my friend did last year) because elf bullying and hatred and being told he was an abomination! It sickens me. No one needs to die like that. So I refuse to give in! I gave in before because I was going through an adoption and out of fear I stopped writing and deleted my online persona. FEAR. I was told there was "evidence printed out against me" and out of fear of losing my son I listen to their every word. No more. I will NOT lose my son. My son is proud of me. He tells his friends I am an author. He is happy when I am doing well. I tells me to "get writing mom!" I love that kid! He is a senior this year.

I also took my son out to get soccer cleats and I mention I will have to miss his last game. He said "It's okay." And then he questions, "Is it a home game?" I say Yes. Then he tells me IT IS SENIOR NIGHT! Um, great! I will not be there for senior night? Um, no. I have to be there. Senior night the parents walk out onto the soccer field with their seniors as they honor the departing seniors and stuff. I am to do a poster for him and everything to hang not he fence at the stadium. I can not miss that. I am him mom. My adopted orphan son is NOT going to senior night without his MOM! NO.

So what does this mean? Because if you haven't figured it out, Senior night is October 15th. Chicago. GRL. I can't be there until Thursday. I have the most awesome friend in the world, and Taryn had gotten amazing tickets for us to fly in on Wednesday morning. Relax. Get ready for Thursday. Now I had to cancel. Not how I wanted to go to bed. And NOT the conversation I wanted to have in the morning.

Wednesday- Good reviews. Multitasking Momma. Interview on Smoocher's Voice. But still dealing with the aftermath of that e-mail. (And she e-mail 2 or 3 other times) I posted a thing on Facebook and got 103 comments by that morning. WOW! Shocking. Many of whom quotes scripture at me much like PERSON did, so she really has no clue about the people I know. (Awesome ones like Ijeoma and Lucien who know scripture!) And I am so thankful for all of you encouraging me. Thank you! I also wrote a post about this stress on me (Backlashes) and it got 150 pages views. A record for me. I may think that no one notices me, or that very few people read my post, but you are out there when it counts. Thank you. I will get to all the comments you guys left soon.

Taryn popped a IM to me to see how I was and I asked to call her. I had to mention about the flight. She, being the gracious person she is, rebooked a flight. Initially she said we could leave at 7 am. It was the only flight she saw to Chicago. 7? two hour flight. Get there 9ish? in a taxi by 10 to hotel by 11/12? IDK. I was throwing out the worst case scenario since I've only been to Chicago once and traffic was bad that time. Well what happens on Thursday? Um, the supporting author signing. Probably in the morning like last year. Probably with my luck 10-12 or something which means I would basically miss the whole thing. I was super stressed about that most of the day. I had running to do. Target, post office, bank, food shopping. Made dinner. While making dinner I was messaging people. It was an overwhelming day because I was overwhelmed by all of you! You have been so kind and supportive. Lots of messages, couple e-mails, and IMs etc. Thank you! So while making dinner, Taryn messages and says she found a flight at 6am, landing 6:58am. I ask, "I thought it was a 2 hour flight? How is that one hour?" Chicago is on Central time. OMGosh I gained an hour! Now we can fly in on Thursday mooring and hopefully make it to the hotel by 8:30ish. I can crash for a bit and then be at the signing. I went to bed relieved about that! I may have been stressed about the flight situation half the day, and Taryn fixed everything, but then a fan named Karrie posted FAN ART. OH MY GOSH! You talk about instant tears? Karen, my sweet fan from France, brought me to tears when she asked me to sign a FAN (art-type) book she made for authors at RT. I was bowled over by that. AND CRIED! So when I saw Karrie's post I cried again. I haven't seen "fan art" for ME before. Harry Potter maybe. (LOL) but not little ol' me. Here is what she did for JOCK as a tribute to Cole and Ellis:

Thursday - Um, I am supposed to be heading out for a mini vacation. Most of the family is going to Knoebels Amusement Park, and then tubing or something IDK. My son is staying home because he has soccer practice, and work. Also he can take care of our dogs. I am stressed today, because I am supposed to pay some bills but my husband's deposit isn't until tomorrow. I can't really pay some until it hits. So I am nervous about mailing them. I might have my son mail them tomorrow and I can check the balance on my phone. IDK. More to worry over. And I am also supposed to have Tammy Middleton on my blog for Friend Friday!! I will try to set that up today and hopefully "publish" the post from my phone. I hope that works. The down side is that I normally post it all over and advertise FRIEND FRIDAY. I will need you all to help with that. Or you will be seeing posts Saturday night when I get back.

Today is The Novel Approach. I think I gave them another excerpt. You will have to check it out!

I think I talked long enough. Ciao.

Don't forget the blog tour. MANY posts have excerpts and giveaways.

August 4 - Joyfully Jay

August 7 - Prism Book Alliance

August 11 - The Blogger Girls

August 12 - Rainbow Book Reviews (Review only)

August 13 - Smoocher's Voice

August 14 - The Novel Approach INVOKING AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE! :) that's me!

August 16 - Jeff Adams' Blog

August 17 - FACEBOOK takeover of Dreamspinner's FB page. I will chat in the afternoon with whoever shows up! The event invites have been sent, but invite more if you want. over 1k invited to my event :) 2-5 on the Dreamspinner page on FB.

August 20 - GGR Reviews

August 22 - Multitasking Momma

August 25 - Rainbow Gold Reviews

August 26 - Tammmy Middleton's blog

August 27 - back at Joyfully Jay

Backlashes

Last night I received a disturbing e-mail from someone I know who told me she read one of my books and although she thinks I am a wonderful author, she has a huge problem with the material. Suffice it to say that the rest of the e-mail would have all of you in uproar. It was deeply painful to hear this from someone I trusted.

In 2010 I lost everything I thought was dear to me: All my friends and my home church. I felt their pity as they stared at me, and I felt their disgust as they fled my presence. It took almost 2 years to even start trusting people again. But I did. I opened up. And apparently, I opened up a fraction to the wrong person here.

Said PERSON basically wants me to change what I write. She is very turned off by the sexual content and the love between two men. Well, one thought I had was, “Did you not read the jacket cover?” I am not sure which novel she read, but let us assume she read JOCK. I am almost 100% positive that the blurb tells you Cole falls in love with Ellis. Or implies that. It is about the relationship of two men. As I explained it to my daughter…. If you hated Panda Bears with a passion, would you read a book about Panda Bears? She said NO. Why then would a woman who disagrees with men loving men or women loving women pick up a book that clearly says:

It's easy to become cynical when life never goes your way.

Cole Reid has been a social recluse since he was fifteen, when he was outed by his high school baseball team. Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he's gay. As he sees it, he's bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother?

By the time Cole enters college, he's become an anal-retentive loner—but it's not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a "jock"!

During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole's glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock—and maybe Cole's reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.

….Um, “awakened libido” would imply SOMETHING! Wouldn’t it?

Said PERSON wants me to write something SHE would find acceptable. Basically, I get the impression she wants me to write a Christian novel. No sex, and heavy on the religious aspect tailored to specific beliefs of Christianity.

In one way I DO write that. I am a Christian, and I wrote a novel. (Several.) I write my beliefs INTO my characters because it is something that is important to me and I believe other feel the same search in themselves to know and understand God. Some don’t, but some do.

One question that Jodi from Smoocher’s Voice (please visit to read the entire interview) asked was:

·      Religion and homophobia play a major role in your books. You specifically focus on intolerance of Christians. Why is this a prevalent theme in your books?

I said: Because of what I personally experienced. If I am NOT gay and went through this kind of hell (hell partially because I lost ALL my friends I had had for 10 years, fyi) , then what the heck kind of crap are the real homosexuals experiencing, because that can’t be nice. So, I explore my thoughts and write about them.

I have always said I write about myself. My experiences. My pain. But INTO gay characters. If I was persecuted (Like MATT DIXON in The Cost of Loving) and I am NOT gay, then the experience for some of you out there who ARE has to be 10x worse, some 100x worse.

I went to bed early because my stomach hurt. My head hurt. It hurts now! But said PERSON basically reinforced WHY I need to write in the first place. People are naïve and some go through life in a church with this idea of “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Well, that doesn’t work. There is a quote from my WIP that comes to mind:

“Understand what? Me being gay?” And yes, I just came out. Shit. Where the fuck was Keith?

“Yes. No. I don’t know. My cousin’s gay. I don’t understand him. He likes this other dude, ya know, and I don’t know what to do about it.” Bruce absently touched the side of Keith’s half-full mug. He looked so pathetic I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.

I said, “You don’t have to do anything. Just be his cousin. Be his friend.” It seemed so logical to me. I guess I should have taken my own advice and just been myself and when someone couldn’t relate I could have told them just to be my friend. Easier said than done.

Bruce looked up. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. He isn’t a different person. You just see him differently. Stop. If you mentally paint labels on people’s foreheads, like ‘homosexual,’ ‘dyke,’ ‘puffster,’ or even a name as innocuous as ‘loser,’ it unconsciously changes your perception. Without even realizing it, you don’t see them as a person any longer, but as a definition. They are who they are. Your cousin is still your cousin.”

He nodded slowly as if considering what I had to say very carefully. “You know, you’re even starting to sound like Keith.”

I smiled. That was the first time I’d ever heard Bruce use a first name as a reference to anyone. “I guess. He’s in the bathroom if you want to talk to him.”

Bruce stood up but lingered by the table. “Nah, that’s okay. Leppo’s too egotistical. He always has to be right.”

This is going to be an amazing book. I think. I hope. I include some very good concepts. But Flynn hits my point here. People can not view people as a “definition” because it takes away their humanity. People cease being people and they become statistics.

And often, people in the church want to “fix” you, or ME. I think she sees me as a project to “fix” because of what I write. Her e-mail brought back all the feelings of fear and paranoia that followed me around for years. I started trusting people again, and here is where it's led me. Square one. Square 1.5. She wants to remain friends. I really don’t think we were before this because she obviously doesn’t know me at all. She doesn’t believe in me. And she certainly doesn’t believe that God is at work in my life.

I DO believe my writing is a gift from God and I want to strive to touch people’s hearts as I have already done, and MORE.

My characters are gay. If you can’t handle that, then DON’T READ MY BOOKS! Also, if you can’t handle getting your heart ripped out sometimes, then don’t read my books. They are all different and unpredictably funny or painful. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

That said, Multitasking Momma wrote a review that I haven’t read yet. I think I need to see what she said. I will link it HERE. When I get it….. Additional. I read it. She made me cry. Thanks J. :)
She also gave NAMES a ribbon. :)

Hugs to all my peeps. I am wounded, but not dead.