New Year, New Me.

As this new year progresses, I am trying incrementally to let go of the fear and paranoia that fueled my existence for the last 3 years. The other day, I was talking to someone I know and explaining some of my history. I told her (this new friend I have) that for years I was withdrawn, had no friends, and did not want to share who I was with anyone. She gave me a surprised look and said, "But that seems to go against your personality." Yes, it truly does. I'm not a shy person, although I was when I was younger. I am normally loud, sometimes obnoxious, often sarcastic, but rarely quiet and withdrawn. But, I have to say, having an online stalker messed with my head.

Soon, probably later this week if not sooner, I will work on that self-interview where I will answer some of the questions my fans have listed on one of my other blog posts. However, Cody Kennedy asked two questions in relation to one blog I wrote "Why do I feel that 2013 will be MY YEAR?" and "Why was 2010 such a hard time in my life?"

One reason I feel that 2013 is my year, is because now is the time I feel I can finally let go of fear. Fear is very destructive, and its tendrils dig deep into every part of a person's self-esteem and self-worth. (Sometimes). Also, The Cost of Loving will finally get published this year. TCOL has been a long time coming. It is from my personal experience with "the church" and judgments I endured. It was my personal journey and I wrote my experiences into Matt, Darian, Matt's dad, Matt's mom, and some events in the character's lives. So, it is "my year" because I can be honest about things that happened to me. Also, I may even write TWO NOVELS this year and submit at least one, (LTLTA), to Dreamspinner. After having TCOL accepted and published this year, the thought of possibly publishing two in one year is thrilling. So, heck yeah, it's my year! And I feel WEIGHTLESS!

2010... The answer can not be given in full, nor can it be given at this time since I am working on how to tell my story. Some of it you all already know. I had a stalker. She found something I wrote about homosexuality. She went to someone, who went to the pastor of the church I attended. It did not turn out well, and the circumstances caused me to lose all my friends. I became sullen, withdrawn paranoid and afraid. I can't disclose all the information because I STILL DO fear the person who started all the crap I lived through. She still lives in my town. If you want to know the story in full, e-mail me. But for now, know that I will think of how and what to say and will fill my readers in soon. This week.

2013 though, is 180 degrees from 2010. I have real friends. Friends who love and accept me for who I am and what I believe. I am learning it is okay to be myself. The new church I go to is completely different. These new "church going" people are excited that I am an author no matter that I write m/m romance. Homosexuality is not talked about as an "abomination" like it was before in that other place and I am more confident to be myself. I really think that other church was full of people who were griped by fear and couldn't handle the fact that in this day and age, homosexual rights and marriage etc are a real thing. They want to be a part of the old-school who probably would stone those who are gay. IDK. I just think they are living in fear of what they don;t understand, but they will also not take any steps to know or understand people who think differently.

And if I can quote myself, "I don't think sin in as black and white as people want to believe it is. I think it comes in an array of colors, and one of them shines so bright that it blinds us to our ability to love. And if I think that I can't love you because you're gay, then Satan wins. Because without love, the only color left is hate." -Rob McAvoy, My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! Personally, I felt "unloved" for years.

Not anymore. Times are a changing. Stay tuned. I gotta go write something or the day will disappear and Darian's life will remain untold.

Laterz,

Wade

Cody Kennedy - One-year anniversary celebration of the release of Safe.

As some of you may have seen, Cody commented on my blog post “Freedom to be Myself” a few days ago and left a litany of interview questions for me. Cody then went on Facebook and asked everyone to visit my blog and ask nosy, personal questions of me. (I must say I had mixed emotions over this from chagrin to flattery.) So, when Cody asked me to join in the celebration of the one-year anniversary of the release of his novella, Safe, I thought, "What the heck!"

The Book blurb:

Caleb had one mission in life. To keep his boyfriend safe.

Safe follows the burgeoning love of two boys from the time they meet at ten through their senior year in high school when they're outted by a foolish display of affection.

They met at ten, they kissed at twelve, and were madly in love at eighteen. Caleb is the captain of the swim team and the hottest senior in school. Nico is small and beautiful and has an Italian father who rules with an iron fist. Literally. Nico is never safe from his vicious father. One morning Caleb forgets himself and pecks Nico’s lips at school. It just seems so natural. A teacher sees them and tattles to the Headmaster. Accidently outing themselves is the least of their problems. The ball set in motion by the school’s calls to their parents may get Nico killed.

Content: Gay, M/M [contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable] Word Count: 18K

YOUNG ADULT HEA: Gay Teen Love, Contemporary, Drama  

I read the novella and thought of some questions that might be interesting to readers. (I also wrote a review on Goodreads.) This is new territory for me, I've never interviewed anyone, but I figured that if I was going to interview "myself" soon I might as well start somewhere. So, without further adieu, here is the interview I conducted with Author Cody Kennedy. 

WK: This is the one-year anniversary of the release of Safe. In retrospect, Cody, is there anything that you would have changed in the novella? 

CK: I would have written the story as a full-length novel, Wade. The story revolves around a number of serious issues that deserved more “face time” in the pages of the book. The issues of the development of Caleb and Nico’s relationship from best friends to boyfriends, secrecy and avoiding public displays of affection, dealing with girls, coming out to family and friends, family illness and, in particular, domestic violence, deserved more attention than they were given. Also, while there are laws and policies in place to prevent discrimination, it does occur and Mr. Higgins, the peevish algebra teacher who sees them kiss at school and outs them not only to the headmaster but also to students, deserves a comeuppance. He deserves a literary pummeling.

WK: The story reflects back to the time when Caleb and Nico are ten years of age. Why choose characters that young? 

CK: I wanted the relationship between Caleb and Nico have a realistic amount of time to evolve from best friends to boyfriends. They meet at ten and become best friends, their first kiss occurs at twelve, and they’re deeply in love by the time they’re eighteen.

WK: What part of it was the most difficult to write? 

CK: The argument between Caleb and Nico over girls was very difficult to write. Young love is all-encompassing and when you’re uncertain of yourself, your identity, of who you are, an argument is especially traumatic and can leave devastation in its wake. Also, their love for each other is made more powerful and complex by the fact that Nico suffers physical abuse at home at the hands of his father. Caleb is nothing short of Nico’s lifeline to survival and he truly is Nico’s “whole world.” Caleb’s agony over Nico’s safety and well-being nearly drives him to distraction and his nightly worry over Nico’s survival at home becomes a chronic burden. 

WK: Was experience or personal observation the inspiration for the story? 

CK: Though the events described in Safe are purely products of my imagination, as authors, we put a piece of ourselves into everything we write. Also, I volunteer to help abused youths and observe the tribulations they suffer first hand. Teen years are difficult enough to endure and to have to cope with abuse and the secrecy (or not) and shame of it as well, can be emotionally crippling. 

WK: What helps you keep in the groove while you write? Music? Background noise? Silence? 

CK: I prefer quiet but with three parrots as pets, silence is an impossible feat. There is nothing worse than a pet mocking you or your laugh. (Do not laugh aloud at your friends’ Facebook posts if you own parrots.) Further, they learn by rote and the word “edit” pops up in many of my conversations. Parrots also like to play with voice inflection. Can you imagine being interrupted mid-chapter with “Edit!” at ear-shattering decibels? Then “Edit” with zero inflection, entirely flat. Then “Edit” in sotto voce? 

WK: Oh, my gosh! I'm still stuck on "I have parrots"... lol I can’t imagine a parrot randomly squawking "Edit!", I think I would laugh out loud initially, and then as it went on, want to strangle the bird. OR, I'd end up arguing with it. But THREE parrots? That is totally insane! hahah.

So, this concludes the question / answer session with Author Cody Kennedy. I appreciate you all stopping by to read it. 

You can read an excerpt of Safe and Cody’s upcoming novels, Omorphi and Slaying Isidore’s Dragons, on his blog. You can also find Cody on Facebook and Goodreads .
Find Safe on Goodreads. Find Safe on Facebook.

Buy Safe:
Smashwords
Amazon
No Boundaries Press 


Over and out,
Wade

Branching out

So, tomorrow I will be branching out and posting a blog that is NOT about me. Another author asked me to do an interview so I will be talking to Cody Kennedy. It is Cody's 1-yr anniversary of the release of the novella SAFE. I read it, and ask questions about it. I am posting this today because often people do not seem to tune in on weekends. This way you are prepared to come back tomorrow and have a look.

This might be a good way for me to meet new people and (again I use the term) branch out. Perhaps I should list blog about other authors on occasion. It would give my readers variety. Plus, sometimes I have nothing to say. Ya know? So, for other authors out there who have something to say and would like to write a blog for the future, let me know. Comment. I can keep you posted on  a time when I need to post something but have nothing in my head interesting to write about. OR if you have an "anniversary" like Cody, feel free to ask me to post something. No promises, but I am open to suggestions.

Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again... (LTLTA)

Other news, my WIP is up to 29k. Happy about that! I hope to write today and move that word count up. I think I mentioned before that it is a puzzle. Normally I sit down and write off the top of my head and let the story dictate where is goes. Can't this time. I mapped out the necessary elements and I am filling in the puzzle pieces one event at a time. Certain things have already happened in Darian's life, so I don't want to get the information wrong. I am also concerned about restating the same events but from a different POV. I don't want to bore the reader so I am trying NOT to restate information you already read and should remember.

This is also a story structured much like MY PERSONAL STYLE ends up being: disjointed, yet with a pattern. Make sense? I have time jumps! YAY! But they have dates, you can follow them! I have faith in the reader. One thing I am seriously trying to stick to is one POV!!! Did you hear me? ONE! So far the entire book, (excluding prologue and journal entries,) is written from Darian's point of view. This will be a pleasant change as the reader will not get confused as to who is talking, thinking, or wondering, or musing... etc... lol Easy, breezy.

I also worked on the blurb yesterday. I am dying to list it. When is appropriate to do that? When the book is finished? After I submit it? I also have a cover, but I don't want to unveil that until it is either (1) accepted with Dreamspinner, or (2) rejected and I am in the process of self-publishing it. Don't want to jump the gun with the cover. I just love it. It is my favorite cover yet, so it is very difficult to keep it all to myself. Enny Kraft designed it! THANK YOU ENNY!!!! :)

So this is a short blog. Written to remind everyone to tune in tomorrow and read my interview with Cody.

My personal interview is coming soon. Sorry if I seem like a tease, but my desire was really not to distract myself with an interview until LTLTA was finished (1st draft). Keep asking questions, though, they are fun.

Laterz,
Wade

Remember:  Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Why I'm Not Famous

There are MANY reasons why my name is not a "household word"... For one, I write M/M romantic fiction. (Male/ Male for those who think of M&M's.) This genre in and of itself is growing, but not yet as mainstream as say, ROMANCE in general or Science Fiction / Fantasy. I COULD pick a different genre, but my heart is here for the moment so we won't go down the road of change as yet. Also, I SUCK at editing and I should really re-read my blogs before I post them. With first sentences like, "This is something I was contemplating this concept over the weekend." it is no wonder that people get turned off. That is a terrible sentence! Sorry. Many apologies. I tend to write and speak before thinking. Another flaw. I type blog posts off the top of my head and I often don't have clear, or good, thoughts and then the blog posts are convoluted or just plain boring. I have no idea HOW to be interesting and write good blogs that attract readers and get followers and in turn encourage more book sales.

Then I came across this this morning:

SOCIAL MEDIA JUST FOR WRITERS

It is a facebook page and the "Owner" of the page is selling a book on Amazon by that same title. Social Media Just For Writers by Frances Caballo.... I find this interesting. It is all about finding a niche, right? She sees that people like ME, need help in this area. She writes a book, and BAM! she's got a huge audience! WOW. I'm impressed. Then there is another book on the facebook page: Blogging Just For Writers by Frances Caballo. Isn't this JUST what I need??? Again, she's found the ticket. This is forward thinking I lack. Or just plain old "thinking" that I lack. I am really not an idea person. I mean, I obviously have ideas but they are focused on romance stories involving pain, and love, and life's trials. My little brain doesn't tend to go to the next step of "How do I promote my books after I write them?"

Technically, I have been thinking about writing and promotion for a while. I learned years ago that as a writer you have to know who your audience is. Ok. I basically do. And when I write, I have to keep in mind who might read it and what they are looking for. There is a sense that a writer wants to be able to write WHAT THEY WANT, but if the audience will not buy it, then I am only writing a story that will sit on my desktop and not on the shelf in someone else's house. So, Frances Caballo has my attention!!

Will I buy the book / books? IDK. I probably need to! I am curious that is for sure. I haven't read reviews on it, I am just writing a commentary on the brilliance of such a focus for a novel.

I lack ideas on promotion, that is for darn sure! Sales for My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! took off and I am not exactly sure why except that maybe it had a catchy title, had a great cover, or it was just the sort of HEA book that people were looking to read to start the new year?? Or another reason all together. But, whatever the reason, I am super thankful that Jock was so successful because it drew attention back to my first novel When Love is Not Enough.

Attention is KEY to gaining success. If no one notices my books at all, then I will not really get anywhere. Do I want to be "Stephen King" famous? lol... I don't think even I aspire to that height of greatness. "Andrew Grey"famous? Maybe, but I think he is well more known than I will ever be. (Plus he is a super nice guy, where I tend to be a pain in the a**.) Anyway... Fame, fortune, and Book sales....

How do you get them? Maybe Blogging for Writers is up my ally? IDK. Has anyone out there read it? I'm up for discussion. I like discussion. I am an inquiring mind and I want to know, "What do readers like in a blog?" What makes you read one? The title? The content? The wacky, disjointed thoughts of a deranged writer? Perhaps this book sheds some light???

I also think that the key to being a good writer is to WRITE!!! Something I struggle with sometimes. At the moment I have a WIP that sits at 22k. LTLTA is all mapped out. It's like a puzzle right now and I am filling in the holes one piece at a time. I find that writing a 3rd book in a trilogy is difficult. You can't just write off the top of your head. (Something I normally do.) I have to consider the content of the other two novels that came before it. And, as it turns out, "Jock" because the characters overlap. I seriously don't want to get the information wrong because I guarantee that readers will notice mistakes!

As far as a niche... (Again, I applaud Frances Caballo on her brilliance of thought!) What is my niche? Well, I want to write about life. That is partially why I chose to write about suicide in WLINE. I see it as a real issue in life. Suicide happens. Sometimes it is unpredictable and rash, but the thoughts are out there in young (and older) people who don't know what to do with their feelings, or people who are hurting, scared, and alone. I took my thoughts and wrote about them. TCOL is about church persecution. (Not sure if that is a popular topic or not, we'll see.) I wonder how many readers out there have been treated poorly by the church, any church? How does it make you feel? What does that type of hatred do to your belief or faith in God? My desire is to take real life situations and put them into stories. Readers want to relate to characters, don't they? Part of the excitement in a book is feeling like I relate to the characters in some way and "connect" with them.

My WIP, LTLTA (or Love, Trust, And Learning To Live Again) is about brokenness and a desire to be loved. Who out there has experienced deep pain from abuse or neglect? Well, Darian is the one who you might relate to. Fingers crossed, I am TRYING to finish that book this month!

But seriously, knowing how to attract readers is a good thing when you wish to write for a living. You know another blog that I find fascinating is Ryan Field's blog. This guy has something to say about everything! Sometimes maybe it is a post of something he found interesting, IDK, but if you want to know stuff, he's got a variety of information on his blog that I have not seen too many places. A wealth of information in one spot. Seriously. Ryan probably doesn't even know I exist, but to me he is an inspiration.

So, that is all I have to say for now. I guess. I am still gathering questions to do a "reader" driven interview. I will more than likely be contacting some blog places to ask about doing an interview. I did one 2 years ago when WLINE came out. Maybe I am due as this next novel comes out. My life has changed greatly in the last three years. I am in a different place and I feel I want to share that. So, if you have questions for me about life, writing, or anything else, visit my last blog and leave a question in the comments. or comment on Goodreads. Or on Facebook. (look for my status: If you had the chance to ask a question about me, what would it be?) I am collecting the questions and will write a blog post in the near future. Think of some funny ones too, not everything has to be serious ;)

Anyway. I'm done. Chat laterz.

Wade

Remember: follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Freedom to be myself

This is something I was contemplating this concept over the weekend. Sometimes I do that--think. Hahaha. I have been thinking about my life over the last three years and how much it has changed. 2010= hard/tough year. BUT, 2010=Wrote WLINE. So when I consider what personal trials produced, can I really complain?

Sometimes life needs to take a step back. Ya know? If you, I, someone, takes a step back and looks at the situation we are in I think often we gain better insight into how it can be seen differently and maybe not as harsh. I didn't like 2010 when I was in it. But out of my own personal pain I wrote a book that got freakin' PUBLISHED! Not only that, but it was a damn good book! (When Love is Not Enough is the one I'm talking about for those who are new to my blog.) I don't think I could have written "suffering" as well without experiencing my own degree of suffering. This is my personal opinion, but I do think that old adage "write what you know" has a valid point. And then my life takes a turn and I wrote Jock. lol. Definitely different than WLINE. (My Roommate's A Jcok? Well, Crap! is often referenced as "Jock".) Both ends of the spectrum that can be produced by my brain, I suppose you could say. There are many sides of me and I hope that I can write more variety as time goes on. (If people are still reading my stuff. And IF readers are interested in all the subjects I want to explore on paper.)

I wrote a BLOG ENTRY on January 4th of this year talking about 2013 being "my year". I quoted All Time Low saying I was feeling Weightless, and this was "gonna be my year". I still feel that way. I feel like this is the best time of my life. For a long time, I was in hiding. I was depressed. I was discouraged. I was paranoid. It took a long time to break out of that and become comfortable in my own skin. Getting to that point had to do with PEOPLE. Sometimes I really don't like people. People can be extremely cruel, judgmental, and vicious. So I closed in on myself thinking it was better to just write what I felt and not give a crap about "being a part of the human race". I could be content alone. Trouble is, I'm not a solitary creature. Not by far. I am social. I like talking. Yes, I need me-time just like everyone else, but by in large I like to be around other people. So 2010 just got more depressing by being alone.

Time ticked on... Now it is 2013. I am in a different place, mentally. I am learning not to be afraid to be myself. Why? For one, I have awesome readers who have supported me for years and encouraged me that they like my writing!!! I'm telling you, that does wonders for self-esteem. I am a writer. There is no greater gift than to know what I write is enjoyed!! :) And number two, I've met new people!! Different people. Kinder people. More accepting people. People who like me as I am. Not people who want to change me. That makes so much difference, don't you think? When you make friends with people who like you for yourself. It make me feel good about being ME. I don't feel ashamed.

So that leads me to the next part of my blog entry and my thoughts for future blog posts... What would you all like to know? Often authors do interviews online, or they blog-hop, or they do live chats. I want to know what my interested public, and small fan-base, would like to know? And the mode which you all like to interact?

1. Blog hopping? What blogs do you read and would be interested in seeing something I wrote on?

2. Live chat? Never done it as a large group thing. And how DO you do it? IDK. Is it like joining a chat group on Yahoo or something and I type, you type, we all type things together in a group chat thingy? I did that once when the GR choice awards were being announced in 2012.

3. Interview? What kinds of things would you like to know? And what blog would you like to read them on?

I had a bizarre-o idea of interviewing myself. LOL. What do you think of this? I will collect questions from readers. Example: Suzy Q asks: What is your favorite color? I then write a blog sometime in the near future, possibly the end of April, where I list all the questions (like in my example) where YOU the READER are the interviewer and I answer the questions. What do you think of that? I don't know what blog's you read to know where I should do an interview. Of course, you could tell me. But I DO KNOW that those who read THIS BLOG must be interested, at least minimally, in what I have to say. I know there are more people who read it than are "fans" of mine on Goodreads. There are those who read it solely on Goddreads, and some who only check it out on blogspot. The "stats" on my blog suggest that many of you out there click "Blog" from my website and come over tot read it. I think that is great!

So, here is my suggestion and challenge to you out there. COMMENT BELOW!!! Comment about any of my questions. Comment YOUR question. (I'm using Deeze now as an example because I know she reads my blogs.) Comment: Deeze. Hi Wade. My question is: What do you eat for breakfast? (Sorry for the lame example. I am so not the idea-person at times.) But what I will then do is collect these questions and later blog and list the question like: Deeze asks: "What do you eat for breakfast?" and then I will answer. "Coffee." hahaha. I'd love to have a large number of questions to pick from. How many questions get asked normally? 20? 25? If I got more than that I would try to answer them all. Of course, there is the chance I will NOT answer a question. In that case I might consider answering a question in private e-mail. So, below, list your question. Or, send it to me via e-mail: writerwadekelly@gmail.com They can be about anything. Writing, personal, future plans, past experiences? Anything. I'll try to be as honest as I can. I know I feel more connect to a writer when I know them better. And I connect more with music when I know the singer/ song writer more in depth. so, I get it. And now that I am not as afraid to be me, I am willing to open up to all of you. Be kind, but I do honestly what to know what YOU want to know?

I guess that is my thought for now. laterz, y'all.

Wade

Remember:  Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

No news is... well... no news

Yeah... not a whole heck of a lot going on. It seems my flu transmogrified into a sinus infection. I hate not being able to breathe. I took Afrin, and that helped, but I've been addicted to it before and I don't want to repeat that. So basically I am suffering through it. I have slept a great deal. I haven't trolled Goodreads like I normally do. The "amount" of ratings has gone up on Jock but I couldn't tell you which reviews were new. I just see the same ones. So if I didn't comment on yours, sorry. I don't tend to catch them all anymore. Maybe it is the privacy setting or if we aren't "friends"? IDK. I like to see them. I like to comment sometimes, but goodreads doesn't always allow me access. Ya know?

Anyway, I'd love to say I've been writing. And although I did write a bit this morning, it seems Monday was a fluke. I had loads of energy, loads of ideas and thoughts, and I wrote 3667 words! Then Tuesday hit and my brain fuzzed over again. I am congested and I feel nasty. No throwing up, but I don't feel like eating. I feel wasted. So, not much is going on because I just feel to sick to do anything but sleep.

My top priority is still Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. (Darian's story) That is the next book I will finish writing. Then, hopefully, after I finish that MS and submit it, Dreamspinner will be ready with edits on TCOL. I figure sometime in May or June they would start edits. (Logical guesstimation) And of course, over the summer I will promote TCOL and hopefully have a date for you all on its release.

After I start promo on TCOL, then I also need to think about GRL. I'm a little scared. I need to book a flight, I haven't don that yet. (No money.) What else? IDK. Basically I just need to write my ass off and not worry about anything else. Right? Right!

I guess that is all for now.

Wade

Remember:  Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Back in the groove… hallelujah!

Okay, I think this crappy flu is on its way out. No fever yesterday, or today. It is the worst I have ever felt, personally, but I kinda think it could have been worse. I only threw up twice (I think), and I’ve heard tales of LOTS of throwing up, which I did not do. Maybe I will get lucky and it will never darken my door again! (Fingers crossed.)

But, on the heels of Mr. Flu’s departure, comes a functioning mind that popped with ideas in the middle of the night. I was tempted to get up and type at 2 a.m., but I feared a recurrence of lethargy. I needed rest. I stayed in bed. But this morning I was all a-tingly with anticipation. I was going to write, and it was going to be good!

I can’t give details because it would ruin it. But what was interesting to me was that this was the end of the book. (Maybe. There is always room to change things around after I write the middle.) I have never written a book from the end to the middle, and back to the beginning. It is all a kilter. But sometimes a writer must goes where passion leads. The scene was there! I took it, I ran with it, and I cried the whole way through. Happy ending? Well, yes. I can’t very well kill off all my characters at the end of the book by dropping a house on them or something. I think L. Frank Baum took care of that with The Wizard of Oz but only in the beginning of the book. I could crash a plane, but then I’d be writing the season finale of a TV drama. None here, you have to settle for a good old fashion happy ending. That is what people like anyway, correct? However, I do not guarantee the MIDDLE of the book. Just because a story might end in some happy way, it doesn’t mean all is bliss all the time. You will just have to wait and see. Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again is well on its way now. I have words on several word doc so the word count is somewhere around 21k. I can’t be bothered yet to add it all up. It’s okay. I’m confident I can make my goal of the end of the month. This novel is harder because I have two other novels to take into account, but it is also easier because I have two other novels and I know where I need to go with my characters.

Will it be believable? IDK. Will it be boring? IDK. Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? IDK. Will it be the best of the three of them? IDK.

As always, I have no clue what kind of reaction I will get until it happens.

In other news, I got a few e-mails today that were uplifting. One reader told me he took my book out of the local library in Seattle. My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! was in a library! On a shelf! OMG!!! That is so wicked! I wish I had a picture of it on the shelf J

Another reader told me I am a gifted storyteller. She read WLINE and was touched deeply. I say thank you. It was a deeply moving book for me to write, and I am always glad to know I have touched someone else.

TCOL is another installment in the Wade Kelly rollercoaster ride. Matt lives though many of my own experiences. I like to think that whatever pain I have gone through, was necessary to produce the stories you all enjoy. Had I not gone through pain, I would not have written it in as much of a personal way. Perhaps it would have been detached. As it is, I felt it, so I wrote it.

You know I had a stalker. I’ve mentioned that. And I’ve been persecuted by the church and accused of things that were untrue. Can I retaliate and take revenge on the people who were involved? No. Not without dredging it all back up and affecting the lives of those around me. I don’t live in a vacuum, and I need my privacy in order to keep writing. I need to write. I have stories that need to be told.

Much of my anguish came about because I was involved with an unpublished author’s website eons ago. I posted some chapters, and although the story was about a gay couple, the excerpts contained predominately M/F relations. Not even explicit ones. This was “frowned” upon and I was told I wasn’t very “Christian like” and I should stop glorifying homosexuality. I backed off, but the damage was done. I was accused of many things and told the church had “printed out evidence against me.” At the time, it sounded like blackmail, but my hands were tied.

I cannot fill in all the details else someone lurking in the dark recesses of the Internet could possibly trace me. You never know? I didn’t know she was stalking me to begin with. I tell you all, because I am moving step by step to be as open and honest as I can be. Each week or so, I will give you a little more. This is also like a build up “Blog hop” or something to promote my up coming release. Timing wise, TCOL is coming out now because now is the time it got accepted. But personally it could not have come out at a better time because NOW is the time in my life when I have never felt more happy, and more accepted for who I am. WLINE, and TCOL are about me. Remember? I’ve always said that. Each character contains a facet of myself and my own experiences. Not autobiographically, but fictional literature based on facts. (If that makes sense.) *EVEN JOCK contains some of my own experiences and true to life situations.

As you read, dear reader, will get to know me inside and out, on blog and one novel at a time. Buckle up, I got months to tell my tale ;)

Wade

Being sick officially sucks.

Hey out there. I've been out of commission for several days due to influenza. I can honestly say that I can not recall ever being this sick in my life. Normally, I feel yucky, take Nyquil, and then I'm fine. Apparently that is not how flu works. Nothing really helps. My fever hangs around 99.0 - 99.8; nothing too bad yet just enough to make every bit of my body ache. Very annoying. My cough is dry and scratchy and tends to burn if I hack too much at once. Thankfully, the doctor gave me cough medicine with codeine, which has eased the coughing considerably. I take Advil for the joint pain but it does nothing for the fever. This is the first day since probably Tuesday that I can think clearly. There is nothing more frustrating than being home, in bed, with TIME to write, yet being to sick to think. And a couple of those days it was exhausting to sit up!

Sweating is the key, I think. (This is information for those out there who are under the inFLUence as well.) haha. Don't do anything!! Sleep. Get about 200 blankets and wear a sweatshirt to bed. Make your body sweat. Drink water. and drink tea. About the tea... I was drinking green tea because I looked online and somewhere it said green tea was recommended for a cold. With honey and lemon to soothe the throat. Ok. I hate green tea. I don't really like the flavor but I thought, "What the heck." I think I had  two cups of it and then my body decided it didn't like it either. I threw up. I went back to bed. (This is Friday morning.) I got back up and I was making myself something to eat. I think I was on my feet too long, because I hadn't really gotten up much at all, and I feel lightheaded, I got some tea and sat down to drink it. I had taken my sweatshirt off because the sleeves where getting in the way and my temperature went down to 97.3. I didn't feel so hot and not long after that I passed out. Literally. Not like I laid down and fell asleep. I went to the bathroom because I thought I'd throw up, and instead I got the tingling warm sensation of impending doom. I am not a stranger to passing out. I know what it feels like. I got down on the floor before I fell onto the floor and I was out. Not long, but long enough to know it happened. Then, in another few minutes, my last cup of green tea was expelled. No more green tea for me!

My friend came over because she didn't like me being in the house alone after I told her I passed out. (Not sure why that bothered her.) She gave me chamomile tea because it is better to soothe the stomach. She was right. I haven't thrown up since. So I've been drinking little cups of pink tea -- that's right, it's pink-- and my throat doesn't feel as scratchy and I haven't thrown up. I still feel exhausted. Getting out of bed makes me tired. BUT, I also haven't eaten much. I guess it is the flu, but I have no appetite. This morning I had like a miniscule amount of energy to go get my computer and crawl back in bed. My brain is functioning enough to write a blog entry, so maybe I can write today. That would be awesome.

Not sure what else to say about all that.

On a different note, my publisher sent me a link to another review I hadn't seen. I'm pretty sure Shirley put this review on Goodreads, but here is the review that is on her review site. Go visit it when you have time and see what other books she likes :)

Rating: 4.25 stars

Published: December 31st, 2012

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Available at: Dreamspinner, Amazon,Barnes & Noble

Review: After a week and a half of debating what to say or not say about this book, here I go.
I liked this book. A lot. Maybe not as much as I was expecting, but I was so looking forward to this story and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. It was different, but not enough to stop me from reading it.
I liked Cole – he felt real. He had his issues (big and small) but he wanted to be accepted and loved for who he was was. Socially awkward and cynical to boot, he didn’t think he would ever find that special someone. He was so happy in his own little world of pristine floors, neuron and protons, that when he was faced with a new roommate he felt like his world was tuning on its axis. And then to find that his roommate was a jock? Well that justturned his life upside down.
In comes Ellis. A handsome jock, he was uncertain about his sexuality and moving in with Cole didn’t help matters. He was drawn to him, exasperated by him and just confused. They developed a friendship of sorts based on acceptance and mutual understanding. Until the kiss. That kiss that made Cole’s heart skip a beat and took their friendship that one step closer to an emotional connection.
I enjoy Wade Kelly’s writing. Be it a reading blog post or his debut novel,When Love is Not Enough, he always manages to keep me entertained. This book was no different. Not exactly the what I was expecting, but like I said before not a disappointment. To me it felt more like one of Wade’s blog post. Honest, funny and with an underlying message. While WLINE was dark and angsty, this book was funny and with an understated sense of drama that kept me reading from start to finish with just a minor break when real life showed its ugly head.

I was thoroughly into these characters. I enjoyed both the main and the secondary characters, even if I felt that Mike ‘s POV and his story should have had a lesser role in this book. I appreciated what he brought to the story in the overall resolution to the conflict, but I think that his POV and his actions should would have made a great short story to add to the book lineup. Other than that, I think the secondary characters added beautifully to the story. I especially enjoyed Rob and Russell’s voice and what they added to the overall story. I think there’s great potential there for a meaningful story and I hope Wade finds the time to write it.
Filled with sarcastic humor, insightful moments, adorable characters and an underlying message of acceptance, My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! was a treat to read. I am already a fan of Wade Kelly and I can’t wait for his next book to be released.
No pressure Wade, no pressure at all! But if you could just edit The Cost of Loving a little bit faster I would truly appreciate it. Thanks

http://shirleyfrancesbooksandmore.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/my-roommates-a-jock-well-crap-by-wade-kelly/

That is all I got for now. I'm alive, just moving slow.

Wade

Remember:  Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" onGoogle+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

2011 vs. 1939

I had a conversation over the weekend with a friend / reader / fan, in which we referenced a movie called Dark Victory. Has anyone out there heard of it? It stars Bette Davis in one of her best roles (in my opinion), yet this movie is lesser known than say, “Now, Voyager.” The question is: WHY? It is an outstanding film. My friend brought up some interesting facts about the year it came out. 1939. What other films came out in 1939 that would have out shined Dark Victory? Um, a little film called Gone With The Wind! It won best picture that year and beat out another film, which won an award for “best original song”. Can you guess it? The Wizard of Oz. Gone With the Wind received ten academy awards and totally outshined everything that was produced that year. The Wizard of Oz gained popularity over time, because initially it didn’t do as well in the box office as anticipated. (This is my paraphrase from Wikipedia.) Consequently, Dark Victory didn’t do so well at the Academy Awards. Although nominated, it lost.

Bette Davis was up for best actress and lost to Vivian Leigh. Up for best picture, and lost to Gone With the Wind. Up for best score, and lost to The Wizard of Oz. Was it disappointing at the time? Probably. But fans of Bette Davis would still love her for it, Academy award or not. My thought is that they can look back and say, “I was nominated, but I lost to Gone With the Wind!” That is an accomplishment in itself.

Why do I say all this? Well, for one I like Bette Davis films. Two, I always go back to talking about myself. lol.

When Love is Not Enough came out in 2011. Being the conceited person that I am I have to say it is a kick-ass book that will tear your heart out. (Note: This is backed up by many readers who agree with me, so I’m not talking out of thin air. For some, this is true to form.) Anyway, When Love is Not Enough was a great book. It has depth, it has memorable characters, and it leaves many readers feeling drained emotionally because of the content. So, my question is (because I always ponder things about my own books,) why is it not read more? Why is it overlooked and set to the side in lieu of readers picking something else to read?

Here is where I tie in my movie references…

What else came out in 2011? Caregiver by Rick R. Reed, and Bear, Otter, and The Kid by TJ Klune! Oh good golly, I should be happy people read my book at all! WLINE is like Dark Victory in comparison to Gone with the Wind. Outdone, outshined, and out awarded by the other two. I read on Facebook that Caregiver won an EPIC eBook award. Well deserved, I’m sure. I haven’t read it yet. I have the paperback on my shelf and might one day meet Rick and have him sign it. I am sure though, I will sob like a baby. It is said to be a WONDERFUL NOVEL. Rick Reed is an outstanding author so I have no doubt it is. Should I be upset that Caregiver stole the show? No. If anything I should gain inspiration that one day I can be seen as Rick Reed’s contemporary. (Did I use the term correctly? I meant it in reference to publishing books in the same timeframe/year.) Of course, Rick is also on another level than me; he’s multi-published and for years. My truer contemporary is TJ Klune. (otherwise known to me as the Wizard of Oz.)

*Note. I do not intend any mocking, or ill will by these references.

Mr. Klune stole “best score” because he deserved it. And Mr. Reed took “Best Picture of the year” because he earned it. I can not blame them for out-shining me, but I can look to be inspired by their brilliance. If it was not for competition we would never be driven to improve, correct?

 *and I use the word “competition” not in the truest definition but metaphorically. I believe that readers can out-read ANY author’s ability to write, therefore we are a collective whole, like a hive. (–reference to the Borg.) Writers need each other to survive, as much as we spur each other on to improve and learn and grow. (Make sense?) Anyway…

To me, Mr. Klune and Mr. Reed are icons of success and an inspiration for my little ol’ “Dark Victory” to grasp at. I’m trying. I plug away, and over time, When Love Is Not Enough is gaining more support and readership. (I thank you all for that.) I was nominated for “Best Tearjerker with a happy Ending” and lost out to Bear, Otter, and The Kid in the M/M Romance Choice Awards. But I was nominated!

Soon, I will be going to GRL, and who might be there? Um, TJ Klune. How intimidating is that? I can see myself hiding behind a plant in the lobby and ducking when he turns around. Lol.

I’m writing today. I need to produce more. I am not as fast as other authors, to my detriment. But, I hope the wait will be worth while. I’ll keep you updated on the sequel. Until then…

Laterz,

Wade

Repeating myself: Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Coming out of my shell

Over the last few years I've been in hiding. Kind of like a hermit, but one that was stalked into seclusion for fear of public persecution. Although I tend to talk about myself all the time, I talk about my writing, not my personal details. But if you read my books, trust me you know me. Anyway... I shut people off for years because of my "stalker" and I didn't trust anyone. After all, this "stalker" was someone I'd known for years. YEARS! And this person did hurtful things to me because of something I wrote. They corroborated with another mutual friend who "had plenty of time to kill," I was told, and that man researched and googled and dug up dirt. (Like I have dirt.) My initial reaction, besides fear, was to think "why the hell am I that special that I am researched on the internet?" I am not a town leader. I'm not the president. I am not even a principle of a high school. I am an ordinary person. This was 2010. It was a very hard year. I can not go into detail because if said "person/stalker" is still out there, they might be searching the internet as I type this. IDK. I was shocked and caught off guard the first time, who's to say it wouldn't happen again?

So, to keep myself and those I love in my life safe, I hid. There is a Barenaked Ladies song that says, "If I hide myself wherever I go, am I ever really there?" Well, I've been doing just that. When someone you know seeks to be hurtful and damaging to you and your family etc., it is hard to then BE YOURSELF. "Myself" was unacceptable to the public. "Myself" was said to be "unChristian like". And "myself" was not what was good for the community. I saw a therapist because of this and she told me I had been attacked. This was a verbal attack. The couple people that were out to "cleanse the church" of my damaging presence and influence had hurt me, but the therapist assured me it was not my fault. I knew this, but it still feels good to have that affirmation.

Something good came out of it. I wrote WLINE. I was in pain, and hurt, and scared, so I poured out my feelings on paper. (Notebook and computer.) This book has not made a movie like Stephanie Meyer, but it HAS touched the hearts of people who identify with it. Jimmy Miller committed suicide. Suicide is the ultimate release of pain, suffering and depression for someone who doesn't know where to go with that pain. It is the edge. Real despair is out there. What I feel I am called to do is write about it. I felt that pain to a small degree and it was awful. What about those who are not as strong, or those who have no one to turn to? Suicide becomes a real reality. I would not wan that for anyone.

So, in these last three years, I have been healing emotionally from what people have done and said about me. The sequel to WLINE, The Cost of Loving, is a personal journey of church persecution told through Matt Dixon's life. It is a parallel, not an autobiography. I took it from my experience, but it is fiction. Point being, if you read it, it is how I felt in 2010 expressed through Matt, his dad, his mom, and his lover. I have always said my characters are ME. Well, they are.

I am in the process of writing the conclusion of that time of my life. Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. I am writing it because that is where I am in my life. I am learning to trust, and I am learning to live. Darian is my broken "self" and the expression of where my life is heading. I hope to finish it by the end of April.

Yesterday, I branched out and talked to a "fan" / reader for the first time about "me". It felt very freeing. I am learning to be myself again and I like that. GRL will be fun because I will be able to be myself in public. In that regard, who is going? Comments? I only know the list of autors that is going from the list on the retreat page. What other authors are going? (Besides me.) comment. I'd like to know who I might see there.

More on me coming. One step at a time.

Wade

The LONGEST wait in history is over.

After the longest wait I have ever had, and several rejections in between, The Cost of Loving (TCOL) was finally accepted at Dreamspinner Press. I am thrilled that it will have a publishing home next to When Love is Not Enough (WLINE). I would have been fine self-publishing, and I am ready to go with that for the next one if something I write gets rejected, but conventional publishing is better I think. The pluses are that I get better exposure and all forms of the book are available at the same time. (As apposed to Create Space where is it Kindle only for 90 days.) The down side is that you have to wait. But at least this time the wait has an end. August/September (ish) is the projected release date barring any setbacks in editing and stuff.

And the cover will remain the same! That was a big concern of mine because I love it so much, but luckily they liked it too. Thank You Enny Kraft for creating one so awesome! Book three’s cover is also perfect and I will reveal it in a few months, maybe July. The blurb will get listed after I finish writing it. I am currently working on Love, Trust, and Learning to Live Again. (LTLTA) I know this is a long title but I believe it fits the book. This book is about Darian. His life, his struggles, and becoming the person that he is. He has gone through a lot. And I think the cover fits it perfectly too. Will this one get published this year? IDK. I hope to finish the first draft by the end of April. Submission will depend on how long it takes to edit it. If I hire my editor, she may take months :S So, IDK. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

As far as my current books go, they are all selling because I can see that on my Dreamspinner page, but how well they are selling—IDK. Both paperback and eBook are selling which is wonderful because if readers are buying them, my publisher will be happy! I like happy publishers!

Reviews: Goodreads has the most reader reviews lists for my books. “Jock” has 601 at the moment and WLINE has 230 listed. I can’t always see them, I don’t know why. I like to read what people say, but I’ve noticed that when I scroll to find the newest (and yes, I’ve hit the “newest” button) I’ve seen them already and yet the # of ratings went up. Odd, but whatever. If I missed yours, sorry. I tried. I also have a number of reviews on Amazon and ARe. Reviews on those popular sites are cool because not everyone belongs to Goodreads but loads of people troll Amazon! So, feel free to list one there J

I’m not sure what else I can say at the moment. Sit tight, the next Wade Kelly book will be on its way soon! And I will be / am writing MORE!!!

Repeating myself: Please, follow me on Twitter, "follow" my BLOG, "like" me on Facebook, add me to your "circles" on Google+, check out my pins on Pinterest, review my books on Goodreads; and by all means, check my webpage often for changes.

Check out my books: My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and When Love is Not Enough. Read, review, or question me about them. Thanks.

Thanks for everything. Thanks for believing in me.

Wade J

PS: The "feed" that brings my blog post over to Goodreads is way behind. Sorry about that. I don't know how to fix it. I blogged on Monday and it is still not on the Goodreads post. Odd.