Sadie Jay

 We had snow again this week. Less than an inch and it melted within a day, but it still meant wearing layers and my nose running all day because my work station at the store doesn't ever warm up when it's cold outside. I'm shopping today and I have seeds on my list. Now, to decide what I want to grow this summer! First signs that spring is right around the corner-- rhubarb and tulips.  This week's snippet from Headphones:Fall Out continues from last week, part 2 of 3. Richard is admitting to Bets that she was right about his brother. Read Part 1 here: “Scoey spent the night Saturday.” Bets was confused. “Scoey spends the night at your place all of the time.” Usually, it was when he’d had too much to drink. It was easier to pass out on the couch of the upstairs apartment instead of staggering the block to his bed at The House.  A dusty-rose flush covered his cheeks, barely visible under the soft stubble that covered his jaw. “Not in Jay...

I finished the line edits of Sunshine Smile and am now working on the last book of the Headphones trilogy, Fall Out . I discussed the metaphor of Headphones with my daughter while she was home at Christmas–that Jessie wears them as security, a physical barrier separating herself, while at the same time everyone else is wearing invisible headphones for the same reason–if I need to explicitly write that into the story or trust that the reader figures it out on their own. We agreed–I should assume the intelligence of the reader. I hope I don't regret that! (Have I mentioned that Peppercorn ended up being almost a block long?) In last week's snippet, Richard began to wonder about his brother's relationship with Jay. This week's snippet, taken from the beginning of book 3, Fall Out , is his acknowledgment of it. Part 1 of 3, he's in the park with Bets: The beer and the chicken were both gone before Richard started the conversation with a mumbled, “Don’t get s...

Bleak has been the word of the week. It's been cold and grey with rain, sleet, and snow flurries. It can end now! I feel like I'm in a holding pattern, waiting for nicer weather. This week's snippet is part 2, again from Headphones: Sunshine Smile . In part 1, Jay catches Scoey watching him as he eats a banana, and so naturally he makes a production of it and it's too much for Scoey:            With a wicked grin, Jay pulled his lips back and made a show of biting into the fruit. He winked and swallowed before sending Scoey an air-kiss.  Scoey was transfixed by the movement of Jay’s lips and jaw. Flashbacks of kissing Jay trapped his mind and his skin itched as he broke out in a sudden sweat. The taste of him, as if it had happened only moments before, was still fresh in his memory. His throat tightened and his stomach fluttered. It was too much and he fought his paralysis, willing his arms and legs to move. A stool skidded, almost tipping, ...

The February blahs have hit me hard. Except for a couple of nonseasonal nice days last weekend, it's been cold with snow flurries. Not enough to have to shovel the walk, but enough to make everything wet and uncomfortable. I'm finding it hard to get interested in anything-- reading, movies, work. Spring can't get here soon enough! From Headphones: Sunshine Smile , Jay is a keyboardist in the band, Blue Mick, with Scoey's brother, Richard. When Scoey isn't working, he likes to watch the band rehearse. To call Jay a tease is an understatement:             Mick was running through the playlist for their next gig as Jay slipped onto the closest stool. A rumble in his belly and a lone banana lying forgotten and forlorn reminded him he’d not thought to grab something to eat in his still agitated state as he drove across town. He concentrated more on partially peeling the fruit than he did on Mick and what he was saying. He rolled a small bite on his tongu...

Like everyone else, I'm ready for winter to be done We have so few sunny days here in January and I need sun! It feels like everyone is in holding mode and energyless. On the upside, I finished what I hope is my last pass of edits on In From the Cold and am now working on Sunshine Smile . Because the first two books have cliffhanger endings I want to publish them all at the same time. I'd considered publishing it as one book, but that would make it 180K+ words. I think it works like this. (At least, I hope it does!) (I'm ready for color!) The second book in the series very much becomes Scoey and Jay's story. They weren't really meant to be the main characters, but once I started writing, they took over. It's also when I realized m/m was what I wanted to write. Their romance is a slow burn because Scoey is very confused about what is happening (he's demi-pan). But occasionally, he isn't confused at all: They lay like that, unmoving except fo...