Sadie Jay

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...

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...

This last week has been one of extremes. We had temperatures of over 70F–I got my lawn chair out and soaked up some sun, walked at the nature center, and lit up the grill. It was fantastic but short-lived. There was hail and a tornado in my area as the temperature dropped back down into the teens. And I somehow picked up a cold. It's done its own swing all week. Just as I was feeling better, it took another plunge down, oddly following the pattern of the weather.  Could it just be spring already? This week was Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week. To 'celebrate', my book Cinders and Ash is on sale. Lindsey is having an argument with her brother, Cherry, when Brian, the maintenance man, comes out of the bedroom, where he'd been adjusting the closet door. Lindsey takes advantage of the moment. Told from Lindsey's POV: Cherry grabbed onto one of the words I’d just said. “Boyfriend? You? Since when?” His tone irritated me, which made it into a challenge. And I never backe...

Midway through February and the snow from three weeks ago is finally almost melted. Not that we can't get more, but historically, any deep snow happens for my area in the first two months of the year. It doesn't mean we can't get any later, but it's usually less. And that's a good thing! Delicious is live! (link below) Delicious is a low-angst novella, meant to be a fun, afternoon read. So yes, when the guys bring up the word love, it's in a joking manner. And since it's Valentine's day...  (Told from Hanson's POV:) “I really like you, just so you know.”  It was dark enough that I couldn’t see, but I would have bet [Grady's] cheeks were red. “I really like you, too. I mean, I really, really like you.”   Grady chuckled. “We sound like grade schoolers. ‘Do you want to be my boyfriend? Check yes or no.’” “Yes.”  “‘Do you love me? Check yes or no.’” My breath hitched. Was he making a joke, or was he serious? The hesitation was only for a second bec...

Like so much of the US, we're still stuck in the deep freeze. The almost foot of snow we got last weekend is still on the ground since the highs have barely gotten to the teens and the sun has hidden more than shown. But January is done, so we're one more month closer to spring! Delicious is up for pre-order! It's a quick-read, low-heat novella that was supposed to be part of a multi-author series that didn't happen. But after putting so much time into imagining the characters and writing the first half, I didn't want to drop it. And I'm happy with it. (That's the thing, isn't it? We, the authors, should like our stories, I think.) Grady, wanting to move away from the city, buys an old house, site unseen, and hires a contractor to make it livable. Although he's spoken with Hanson over the phone numerous times, this is their first time meeting in person. Told from Grady's POV: “Oh, my,” I said under my breath. That sunbeam from earlier landed on ...

The husband and I were talking about an alternate universe where the last election had gone a different way, and that made me think about my personal timeline. Specifically, where I'd be now if I hadn't stumbled onto The Mighty Boosh back in 2013. I know, it sounds ridiculous that a comedy duo could make such a difference in a person's life, but it changed who I was.  Or maybe, I just refound myself.  It's hard to explain. I've always had a tendency to obsess over things I found interesting: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Beatles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All things that have caught my attention ever since I was a young teen. I had to know more, to dive headfirst and learn as much about them as I could. This bizarre British television show did the same thing at a time when I was floundering. And there was so much to explore.  Movies. Other television series. New-to-me music. And the best thing? The active, very queer fan community. They shared their art and...

I just finished my third viewing of Heated Rivalry . I find myself, on each rewatch, catching something I've missed during previous viewings. There are so many emotional scenes in the series, but the one that makes me teary every time is the conversation between Shane and Yuna in The Cottage. It's just this gut-punch, and I think it was handled beautifully.  I don't have many coming-out scenes in my books because most of my characters are older, in their 30s or 40s, but in Smoke and Sparks , Daryl and Vaughn are 21 years old when they meet. Meeting Vaughn is the catalyst for Daryl coming out even to himself. And I have a scene with his mom. Sorry, I've gone way past a paragraph or two, even though it's compressed from the full book version: I sat at our kitchen table, alone in the big room, except for Mom. With six siblings, that was a rare occurrence. She set a mug of coffee and a slice of apple pie in front of me and then dropped onto her usual chair. I glanced at...

Because of work schedules, we haven't had "Christmas" yet, but my daughter arrived yesterday, and my son is off tomorrow. I'm fixing us a nice dinner and we're going to open presents. The day we celebrate doesn't matter as much as being together, after all. So what did I do Christmas day, you ask? Rewatched episodes 4 and 5 of Heated Rivalry while I waited for the Cottage! For too many people, the holidays aren't a happy time, and it was that way for Vaughn in Smoke and Sparks .  To his family, it's all about keeping up appearances and nothing about actually liking each other. Vaughn is dreading the week, as well he should. FYI Matthew is Vaughn's brother:   The car Matthew sent wasn’t a car—it was a limo. With him in it. And here I thought the day couldn’t get worse.  All the plans I’d made to not go until Christmas Eve were dashed when Claire mentioned she’d covered my shifts after Father’s secretary contacted her. That was followed by a text f...

Happy December! I'm in full baking mode at the moment, getting ready for an upcoming three-day vendor event. I've never tried something like this, so hopefully I survive! On the non-baking front, I'm waiting for my cover for Delicious . Because the original was part of a series that didn't happen, I don't want to use it. Hence, the search for something new. Fingers crossed!  This week's snippet again comes from Delicious . Hanson's sister has left her kids with the guys, and Grady is keeping them entertained while he unpacks. He's reflecting on the day before and his new ideas for his cookbook:   I’d kept Hanson’s niece and nephew busy while he worked by stirring up cookie dough after a quick trip to the grocery store I’d passed the day before, letting them loose with a rolling pin and the few cookie cutters I had. As I’d unpacked boxes, they’d squirted colored icing out of piping tubes, making a complete mess, but laughing the entire time. I’d taken a f...

It seems the last few years, at the end of November and first of December, we get cold weather and snow. It feels very Christmasy, but it's too early. Come Christmas, it'll warm up and feel very much not Christmasy. Sigh.   This week's snippet is taken from my current WIP, Delicious . Strange things are happening at Grady's house, and Hanson keeps telling him it's just the house settling. Little spoiler—it's not! Told from Grady's POV: We stared at each other in silence, neither sure who was supposed to move or say something first, until the tension was so tangible, I could have strummed my fingers over it like guitar strings. “This is ridiculous,” I muttered as I closed the space between us. With my hand cupping the back of his head, I pulled him forward, crashing my lips into his. The kiss was short, but we were both panting when it ended. “Ready to go deghost my house?” “Deghost? Really?” “Yup. I’ve decided I have a ghost. Unless you can prove otherwise.”...

I'm at that stage in my editing where I do a "read aloud." I find it's a very effective way to find grammar errors, typos, and places that simply read rough. But I'm so slow at it! At the rate I'm going, it'll be another two weeks before I get through this. Maybe. I'd wanted to have this ready to publish back in October. At this rate, maybe I'll have it ready by next October!  This week's snippet is taken from my current WIP, Delicious . Grady returns home after spending a pleasant evening with Hanson to find all of his lights on. Hanson speculates they'd forgotten to lock the door, and some kids had come in, not realizing the house had a new owner. Grady accepts the explanation and gets ready for bed: Yawning, I glanced at the clock. Time had slipped by, and it was later than I realized. Jumping in the shower, I washed quickly and grabbed a towel. After wrapping it around my waist, I stepped to the sink to brush my teeth, but froze with my...