Sadie Jay

Last Sunday it was a sweltering 90+° with the humidity factor over 100°. Then Monday barely broke out of the 60s, and it's been that way all week long. Many people love it, but me, not so much. Yes, Fall brings cooler temperatures and possibly some pretty colors, but it also means the end of shorts, running around barefoot, and Winter will be here soon. I am not a cold-weather person. It makes me miserable. I need sunshine! Hopefully, it will be a mild winter with an early Spring. (Yes, I'm thinking that far ahead!)  The last of the summer flowers.  This snippet comes from Blind Ante , the first book in the Bar Games series. As I've said previously, the old trailer that Jordan and Reese inhabit is as much a side character as the side characters are. Maybe more so. From the beginning of Chapter 3. Oh, and Cow is a toy bobblehead sitting on the dash:    Jordan’s hands were shaking when he finally slid into his car. “Shit, Cow, I am so screwed.” He dug around for a cig...

This month was the Rainbow Readers Cruise, and while the actual cruise was only four days, because I drove and spent a few days with a friend, it turned into a twelve-day trip for me. What that means is I came home exhausted and now I'm trying to catch up on everything. It really is a fantastic book conference that also feels like a huge reunion, but I definitely spent more money than I could actually afford. So now it's nose to the grindstone!  The progress on Slam Tilt is minimal. I honestly do not know where I'm going with the story, and it's hard to move forward without a more developed plot. The first two books in the series are angsty, so I'm trying to figure out how to match this one with that. The problem is, Roger and Carmen apparently aren't interested in angst. Also, trying to write this book so it can be read as a stand-alone means adding backstory without info-dumping. Here are some inner thoughts of Roger's that may get pulled. They feel impor...

Last month I went to Queer in the Middle, a book signing in northern Illinois (US). That's my home-state, so I couldn't miss it. In less than 2 weeks, I'm heading to Florida to attend the Rainbow Readers Cruise. I love to cruise, and getting to do it with the people I've become friends with over the last 4 years of attending events makes it so much better. All of the work leading up to it–packing and getting everything organized (plus, just all the expense)–makes me question if it's worth it. But the answer is yes. So much yes! I started this book a couple of years ago after a cruise. I've not gotten very far with it, but each time I go on another cruise, I get inspired again. I'm going to use that as an excuse to go on more cruises! No title yet, just calling it Cruising for the moment, but here is the opening. Told from Malcolm's POV:     Matt claims he’s my best friend. Insists that he is! But I don’t believe it. I might have believed it yesterday, p...

It's less than two months until the Rainbow Readers Cruise, and I'm so ready to go! I love cruising, and I love books. It's the perfect combination! I've been reading the charity anthology below.  It's a great lead-up to the trip. Let me know in the comments if you will be there, too. This anthology supports  Point of Pride , a nonprofit dedicated to helping trans and gender-diverse people access life-saving gender-affirming care through programs like free chest binders, financial assistance for surgeries, and community support. Read it here! Several years ago, I jotted down some ideas for a cruise-themed story and occasionally I pull it up and add to it. It's become a "between other projects" project. I'm having a hard time plotting Slam Tilt —a bit of writer's block, I suppose—but the cruise and the anthology have gotten me excited about Cruising (working title). Who knows, maybe I'll actually finish it! This week's snippet is the op...

I like to read books in a series, both the kind that follow the same couple and the kind that follow a group of friends and family. I also like to write them. I've found that as I write the first book, the side characters develop their own backstories, and it's fun to explore that.  Sadly, I'm a chaotic writer. I'm horrible at sticking to a plot. Often, as I write, something emerges that I hadn't planned, but it's better. That's fine if it's the first book, not so good if it's the last, especially if it changes a detail in one that came before. Book 1 not published yet? Great! I can go back and make any changes I need to. Unfortunately, it means I have several books sitting in the queue, waiting for that last book.  Happy Memorial Day to those in the US.  Blind Ante is the first book in my Bar Games series.  It was a NaNoWriMo project pre-Covid. The second book, Cut Shot , came a few years later. And now I'm working on the third book, Slam Tilt ...

I feel like I've been "buffering" lately. I'm "loading" but not getting where I need to be. It's frustrating, and I keep trying to reboot. I'm beginning to think this is my new normal–a combination of my age and the mental strain we're all under right now. So I'll keep plugging away at my current project, because it's the only thing I can do, since I refuse to give up!  This week's Snippet is from Blind Ante , book one of the Bar Games series. Jordan doesn't normally drink much, but he gets drunk and kisses Reese. Reese drives Jordan home, and they have a brief conversation before Reese heads back to work: Jordan inhaled as he looked up at Reese’s flashing eyes. “Why are you mad at me? Because I kissed you? I’m sorry.”         Reese’s face softened. “No, not because of that. I just… I worry. This isn’t like you.”          “You don’t know that. Maybe this is exactly like me.”           Reese sat on the other cha...