Sadie Jay

I'm taking a break from Smoke and Sparks this weekend and taking a small jump back to last year. I got involved in an anthology during #Cockygate and the theme, so to speak, was Cocker Spaniels. We did it as a fundraiser to help with legal fees for authors who were hurt by it. Since it wasn't needed, it was decided to donate the money to the RWA Perseverance fund. It was always meant to be a limited run and the book will be pulled from Amazon at the end of the week, which is how it should be. I'm proud of my little story, Cocky Lady , and so enjoyed writing it. It's about Ethan and his dog, Lady. And yes, Lady and the Tramp was his favorite movie when he was a boy. I found my favorite bench overlooking the duck pond and unhooked Lady’s leash. I never worried about letting her loose—she was good about staying close. Usually, she nosed around and maybe chased a toad or a cricket, but she never strayed. Which is why I panicked when I lost sight of her. “Lady, here...

I've been saying for weeks I'd get back to my routine when everything got back to normal, but I've decided that isn't going to happen. First it was the Holidays, then it was vacation, and this week it involved a funeral. Plus, we've been running with less than a skeleton crew at work, which makes everything difficult. But I have managed to write every day and I did hit the 30k mark. I'll take my small victories where I can! I didn't really outline Smoke and Sparks before I started writing. Vaughn and Daryl were two side characters from Embers and Flame that I thought would go well together in a kind of "opposites attract" way. I had a brief notion that they would move in together after having a brief long-distance relationship. The questions in my mind becomes are they boyfriends or just friends (even though they've shared a few kisses) and are they dating, and how does that work with someone you live with? So, yes, even though I have a loo...

I'm still trying to get things back to normal and settle into my old routine, although the fates seem to be against me. But the holidays are over and everyone is finally done with vacations, at least for the moment. I have managed to write every day this week, even though my word count isn't where I want it to be. I think I've hit the mid-point of Vaughn and Daryl's story, so I'm going to call it a win and leave it at that. I decided last weekend to put together a more detailed "outline" but that never seems to work for me. I can "know" where the story's going, but as soon as I start typing, it goes somewhere else completely. Funny how characters seem to have a life of their own! In this snippet: Vaughn needs a roommate and Daryl needs a place to stay for a few months while he helps his uncle out (because the alternative is living with his uncle and aunt--and who wants to do that when there's a cute guy he wants to get to know bett...

I'm back from vacation. I spent a week on a cruise (my first!) in the Caribbean, soaking in the sun. And then came home to the Polar Vortex. To say it was a shock to my system is an understatement! But I'm back and it's time to get serious. I started my current WIP at the first of November but between the Holidays and this trip, I've only managed to reach the 25K mark. Chances are I won't finish it this month, but it's doable if I avoid disruptions. (Or if they avoid me!) Today's snippet is a conversation between Vaughn and Daryl using Facetime. Their relationship is long distance at this point in the story and the POV is Vaughn's. (Daryl's) expression went from worried to skeptical, clearly evident even on the small screen, but he chose to not respond. “I thought you had to work tonight.” I pulled the phone back far enough to include my brown and cream smock. “Not wearing this to make a fashion statement.” “Oh, Darling, you don’t ne...