Hello everyone! I have returned from the first "convention" of the year! I will count this year's RBF (Rainbow Book Fair) as a success. This is the 7th year that they have put on the book fair and I have seen it growing and growing every year. I can say that, because I've been to 5 out of 7. I am not sure who all is involved with advertising the fair and drumming up vendors etc, but I think they have done a great job.
I sold more books than last year, and I met a bunch more people! Some have even friended me on Facebook and thirteen people filled out my little raffle card and checked the box marked YES to be kept up to date via e-mail. I normally do this by subscribing you to my blog. I don't have an e-mail group list or anything to send you updates, and I normally update fans by blogging. I ramble, therefore blogging is the easiest for me.
I want to shout out to all the newer people to my blog, I have tried (in the past) to blog twice a week. Sometimes that pattern goes on for a while, and then it fizzles out. I think most of the times I fizzled in the past was because I had nothing to say and gave up. Then others time it was because I felt "watched" by people who like to stir up trouble for me in my real life. Lately, in the last couple weeks, my inconsistency has been my sucky internet. I have let service more times than I care to count and have had to go to a cafe to get online. NOT FUN! I researched getting another provider at my house, but I live in the middle of nowhere and nothing is available except Verizon. I just have to bear with it.
Another thing I was trying in the blogging process was doing different things on different days.
Monday - "Movie Mondays" where I talk about movies I like.
Tuesday - "Tuesday Teasers" where I post excerpts from my books.
Wednesday - "What's Up Wednesdays?" was for posting random things.
Thursday - "Throwback Thursday"was where I posted OLDER posts and talked about my progression as a writer.
Friday - "Friend Fridays" was for friends to stop by and visit my blog whether they be writers, artists, editors, photographers, etc. to talk about their books or businesses and let my readers hear about someone new.
Saturday - "Saturday Songs", I was listing songs and bands I like.
Sunday - "Silent Sundays" have had a few posts of my pets, but very short posts and a link to Sundays with Sam on 2 Boys In Love. (Because i love Sam)
These topics were intended to be a break from the norm and for me to utilize more of Poppy Dennison's suggestions from the seminar I attended at the Dreamspinner Writer's Workshop. She suggested 20% marketing via shout-outs like: "BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK!" and 80% being posts about ME. Hence, the music and pets pictures and movies I like. However, I am too inconsistent to keep up blogging every single day. Especially when my internet is crap! So my basic patter will stand, with posts on each day as listed above, yet not every single week. I will try to post 2-3 times a week on various topics, and I am open to suggestion if there is anything you out there would like me to talk about. E-mail me anytime: writerwadekelly@gmail.com
So, the book fair…. I had a great time. It was wonderful seeing people I haven't seen in a long time. I will list people, but forgive me as it is DIFFICULT to remember every name. Jeff Adams is always a pleasure to talk to and hang out with so I was glad to spend time with him. I will not see him again until October :( Kade Boehme I hadn't seen since LAST April so that had been WAY to long. I got several hugs and he allowed me to stroke his beard :) It was wonderful seeing Chris Shirley since I only see him once a year and we've known each other since BEFORE we were both published. AND I got to hear him read!!! I <3 you Chris! Sara York was next to my table so I got to be around her and her husband a while. Hadn't seen Sara for months!!! so that was a pleasure. I also saw Tammy Middleton briefly, AE Vie, Crystal Marie and Leta Blake. Monique Thompson gave me a big old hug and a smile, as she did last year!! :) I got to meet Wendy Soto, & JC Wallace whom I only knew from brief online interaction. Of course Debra was there again this year and I got MANY hugs and good conversation as we chatted at the Basso Bar on 56th street Saturday evening. (Such a sweet gal!) Trish won the prize I gave away, so congrats to her!!! (Jeff picked the winner form the pile, I did not cheat!) So I got to see Trish and Tina (Miz) and Susan Lee and Taylor Donovan.
And then I MET people!!!! Stephan was a very once man who bought some books. I hope he enjoys them! I signed books for Peggy, Jesse, & Ruffo that I can remember. And a sweet shy girl named Lisa chatted with me a while and I am glad she did. She was very cute and soft-spoken. I hope you find me on facebook, Lisa! Keep in touch! And there were several other people that stopped and talked to me and I enjoyed every bit of it!
Along with giving out free books if they were won on my prize wheel, I also gave out CDs with audio samples from JOCK, and Misplaced Affection!! Jason Frazier is in the process of narrating it for me. He said it should be finished in late April. I hope that holds as I know many fans are waiting for that title. But Jason and his husband flew out from California to be there with Me, Jeff, and Sara as he is and has narrated books for all of us. He was a pleasure to meet!
Friday night I went to the theater with Jason and Elliot to see Aladdin. It was spectacular! Such a fun time. And afterwards, we went back stage and got a tour of the stage, etc by Jonathan Freeman's assistant. (He is the actor who plays Jafar in the musical, but also did the voice in the movie. He is the original JAFAR!) And later, I got to MEET Jonathan Freeman! whoot! What fun!
I am not sure what else I can say in this blog post. I had a great time in New York and I fully plan to go back for RBF #8 in 2016. I hope to see you all there!
Love and Hugs!
Wade Kelly
xoxoxoox
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Friend Fridays - Andrew Gordon
Andrew Gordon is a friend of mine who lives fairly close, yet not close enough to see on a regular basis. But, we do get together with the DC Metro Romance writers and readers group for lunch every so often. I have had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful daughter and wonderful husband :)
Andrew has a NEW RELEASE out called The Eye And the Arm
Isn't that an awesome cover!!
The Eye And the Arm; by Andrew Q.
Gordon
Champion of the Gods:
Book Two
DSP Publications
Length: 99,775 words/296 Pages
Release Date: April 14, 2015
BLURB:
After defeating Meglar
at Belsport, Farrell returns to Haven to recover from his injuries, but Khron,
the god of war, has other ideas. He gives Farrell a new mission: free the
survivors of the ancient dwarf realm of Trellham from their three-thousand-year
banishment. To fulfill Khron's near impossible task, Farrell will need the help
of his distance ancestor, the legendary wizard Kel. But Kel has been dead for a
thousand years.
Farrell finds
information hinting that Kel is alive, so he moves his search to Dumbarten,
Kel's birthplace. To reach Dumbarten unannounced, Farrell and Miceral disguise
themselves as mercenaries on board a merchant vessel. Their journey is
disrupted when pirates attack their ship. While attempting to subdue the
attack, Farrell is struck down by one of Meglar’s minions.
Unconscious and trapped
in his own mind, Farrell's only chance for survival rests with Miceral and the
peregrine king Rothdin entering his thoughts and helping him sort fact from
illusion. To reach Farrell, they will need to rely on an untested spell from
one of Kel's spellbooks. If they succeed, Miceral can guide Farrell home
safely. If not, Farrell will destroy not only himself, but Miceral, Rothdin,
and everyone around him.
VIDEO
TRAILER:
EXCERPT:
“Relax,
my friend.” Klissmor’s presence calmed Miceral’s growing
anxiety. “You won’t feel my presence.”
Miceral took a deep breath. “Will I be able to hear?”
“Every
word. Ready?”
“No,
but let’s do it.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“I need
your eyes open for everyone to see.”
He snapped his lids open, blinking several times
before could focus again. “Sorry.”
“Master
Teberus.” Miceral knew the words came from him, but as
promised, he didn’t feel anything. “I
have Masters Erstad and Wesfazial as well as Wizard-Priestess Glendora. Ask
your questions to Miceral and we four will also hear you.”
“Astounding.” The
elder Arlefor glanced at the high priestess. “All four at once?”
“Wizard.” Miceral
had heard that tone enough to know Klissmor’s mood. “Maintaining this link, this far away with this many minds, is a
strain. If we are to save Farrell, you must focus on him.”
“Of
course. My apologies.” Teberus bowed deeply. “My examination of the one who did this to Farrell confirmed that he is
no wizard.”
“Then
how in the eight gates of Neblor did that man defeat Farrell?” Even
though Teberus couldn’t know, Miceral recognized the voice as Wesfazial’s.
“The
obvious answer is the correct one. A wizard gave this man the weapon.”
“But
Farrell could defeat all four of us and all the other wizards you brought with
you and not be tested.” Erstad’s steady temperament sounded tested. “No weapon used by a nonwizard should be
capable of this.”
Teberus raised the crest of his hairless
eyebrow. “But since that is what
happened, we must use it as the basis of our search for a cure.”
No one answered. As the silence dragged on,
Miceral’s anxiety slowly returned. If Haven’s senior wizards didn’t know what
to do, who could?
“Tell
us what happened.” Erstad’s request almost didn’t register with
Miceral.
“No,”
Klissmor said. “Show them. Let them see
the memory.”
Miceral closed his eyes and focused on reliving
the attack. The clarity of the image caused his chest to tighten, making it
hard to breathe. He knew the result, but watching it again, almost in slow
motion, added to his agony.
When the image played over again, he realized
Klissmor must have been guiding his thoughts.
“My
apologies, old friend—the need is great.”
Klissmor’s voice didn’t interrupt the stream of images.
“Do
whatever you need. Just find a way to save Farrell.”
“Your
friends are doing all they can. Have faith that Lenore will send us what we
need.”
When the memory started for the third time, he
didn’t find any comfort in Klissmor’s assertion. The Six
wouldn’t—couldn’t—help. He needed something that didn’t exist—a great wizard
like Heminaltose or Kel.
“In
theory, I recognize the magic.” Erstad sounded confused. “But I’ll need to find a reference to be
sure.”
“What
about Farrell?” He knew he shouted, or at least what Farrell
told him passed for shouting, but he couldn’t prevent it. “He could be dead before you find that.”
“It
can’t be helped, Miceral. I need to be sure before I suggest a counterspell. If
I’m wrong, whatever I try might kill him.”
“He is
in no immediate danger.” Teberus put his hand on
Farrell’s forehead. “But my fear is the
number of spells that draw on him for power. I can only give him but so much.
If he doesn’t wake, his body will burn out.”
“Do
what you can, Master Teberus. We’ll begin searching immediately and contact you
when we find the answer.” When Erstad stopped speaking,
Klissmor’s presence left with him.
“Hurry.
Please.” Miceral knew no one heard him.
About The Author
Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when
yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable
typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting with technology, he now takes his
MacBook somewhere quiet when he wants to write.
He
currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his partner of eighteen
years, their young daughter and dog. In
addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his
commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer,
high fantasy, baseball and seeing how much coffee he can drink in a day and not
get the shakes.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Facebook
Page: www.facebook.com/andrewqugordon,
Facebook
Profile: https://www.facebook.com/dominic.andrews.7568
On
Twitter: @andrewqgordon,
Google+:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AndrewQGordon/posts
Email:
andrewqgordon@gmail.com
GIVEAWAY
FIVE
Winners will win one e-copy of ANY book* each from DSP Publication’s backlist.
*Giveaway is of any
currently released DSPP book, which excludes the books that are on pre-order
and “The Eye And The Arm”.
RAFFLECOPTER
<a class="rcptr"
href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0f7bf72019/"
rel="nofollow" data-raflid="0f7bf72019"
data-theme="classic" data-template=""
id="rcwidget_j3da3few">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script
src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)