Sadie Jay

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...

It was a hectic week with lots of baking for a vendor fair. It's so much work that culminates in crossing my fingers and hoping it sells. For an event that I had never attended, and that had over 160 vendors, I did okay. But it also meant a week of limited "author stuff". I got a tiny bit of writing done (it would help if I could figure out some main plot points before I go any farther!) and a little editing on another project. I'm doing the read-aloud round of edits I like to do, but I've found I have a hard time doing it at home. So, I've been taking my notebook to the nature center on nice days, walking for a half hour, and then spending 20 to 30 minutes in the truck, reading and marking. Blind Ante is requiring more marking than I'd hoped. Ah, the fun of being a self-published author!  Bluebells are my favorite spring flower. Something about them just makes me happy.   This week's snippet is from Delicious . Hanson is the carpenter doing a remodel...

Spring has sprung! (Again. I think I said that a couple of weeks ago--before we got more cold weather and snow flurries.) It looks like it might dip again for a couple of nights next week, but I'm going to enjoy this first official weekend of spring. Shoes off and lawn chair ready for some afternoon reading! This week's snippet is from Blind Ante , the first book in my Bar Games series. Jordan is homeless. He makes a living playing poker. It keeps him alive, but he's tired. Jordan is about to leave the game when a guy throws a deed on the table. One more hand, and he leaves with the deed in his pocket. This is the first time we meet Roger, albeit briefly. He'll show up again later—and then get his own book!  “ Illinois ,” [Jordan] said aloud to the purple-flocked cow sitting on his dashboard. He studied the deed to the 5 acres he now owned. At least there was another state between it and Kansas . The man mentioned a trailer on the property–that was the true jackpot , i...

I made it through January and February fairly unscathed. They're usually the worst two months of the year for me, and there have been some ups and downs, but it's more the state of the world and less seasonal depression. Every day there's more bad news. And sadly, I imagine it'll get worse before it gets better. 😪  Books are my escape, and I think a lot of readers, especially Romance readers, are the same. I also find, when my brain is unsettled, like it is now, I have a hard time finding a book I can sink into. It makes for a longer list of DNFs than normal. (I am definitely a mood reader more than a trope reader!)  My snippet this week is from Delicious . It takes place on a quiet evening at Hanson's house, the kind of quiet evening I'm looking forward to. Told from Grady's POV: The evening was unexpectedly pleasant, despite the change in plans. Hanson fixed us steaks and threw a couple of hot dogs on the grill for the kids. Although Gina said she’d fed t...