Sadie Jay

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...