Sadie Jay

It's been a rough week at the house of Jones. The sewer is giving us trouble, I have to replace a couple of tires on my car, and our pool collapsed, taking a section of fence with it. And my coworker is taking vacation next week, so I have to work every day while arranging to have the sewer taken care of, find new tires, and call the insurance. Our summer kind of revolves around the pool. Now the question becomes replace it or not, because we're talking about moving. (I told the partner it's a sign!) The point of explosion and subsequent tsunami. (Our neighbor witnessed it. He said the wave went over the fence.) And now less about my life, and more about my writing: I'm editing Fangs for the Memories , and this is from yesterday's session. It's Vampire Tim's POV towards his love interest, Oakley. Tim is a cinnamon roll with a tough guy exterior.  I felt his grin against my cheek and it was followed by a chuckle. “We’re both ridiculous.” If either of us said ...

It's fair week! As a kid, I was always so excited when the county fair came to town, but it was also bitter sweet because it meant the end of summer was near. As an adult, it means extra work at the store as we do our best to make sure the food stands are well supplied. And there have been years in the past when I worked at different booths, disrupting the rhythm of the entire week. I still get excited by it, though.  So I'm going to go eat a corndog and an elephant's ear, drink a lemon shakeup, and pet a goat. And since I only live six blocks from the grounds, each night I'm going to listen to tractor-pulls, the demo derby, and country singers I'm not familiar with! This week's snippet comes from Fangs for the Memories , my current WIP. I'm going to publish this on Vella and it's written anthology style from the different characters' POVs. This is vampire Alex's POV. Rollie is the first human he's been involved with romantically since his c...

It's been a busy week. But then again, when is it not? Between the day job and the cookie business, my writing time has been limited. But I did manage to finish a chapter in Fangs for the Memories that was suggested (strongly) by my beta readers. I hope it fills the hole I'd left in the book.  My walking time has been limited, but I've been able to fit a few in. This little one sat long enough for me to get a few pictures!   In this scene, Alex is letting his attention wander instead of listening to his sire. They've had a stressful week and both are grouchy. To make it worse, Alex has been getting the cold shoulder from his mortal lover: After I snapped once again at Artie over some insignificant detail, he slammed his open hand onto the table and I jumped as the sound ricocheted around the room like a bullet. “Enough!”   I moved my jaw but nothing came out. “Close your mouth, boy. You’re not a fish! I need your attention here, not mooning over some warmblood.” “I’...

This week was sort of a bust, writing wise. Baking for the Farmers Market is taking much of my time, and I had out-of-State family visiting. Plus, I was waiting for beta reader feedback. That always seems to put me on still-pause. But everyone got back with me very quickly, so no more excuses! Fireworks at Walt Disney World (2018). Best display ever! This weekend's snippet comes from Fangs for the Memories , and is (vampire) Artemis's inner thoughts about Alex, a hippy hitch hiker he's picked up on his travels. This may change before the final edit as I try to express that Artemis is asexual. But it's 1969 and the word hasn't come into use yet, so he really doesn't have a way to explain it–to himself or anyone else: I was drawn to him and had been since the moment I spotted him at the side of the road. Was it simply his appearance? He was striking with his flowing white hair and sharp cheekbones. There was a delicacy to him, as if he was spun glass. I found him ...

In writing news, I finished the first draft of Fangs for the Memories this week, so now it's time to give it a good edit and get it to beta readers. In non-writing news, the Farmers Market is going well and it's finally going to be warm enough to get in the swimming. It's turning out to be a busy summer.  Wildflowers on a morning walk.  I'm snipping from Cinders and Ash again this week. In this scene, Lindsey and Brian are taking a midnight stroll through the campground and Brian is comparing the Illinois sky to the Wyoming sky, when there is a flash of light. And Lindsey has a thought about her "fake" relationship. Told from Lindsey's POV: We stood silently until there was a flash and I gasped. “Falling star! Quick, make a wish!” Making a wish isn’t as easy as it sounds. Blow out birthday candles, throw a coin in a well, tug on a wishbone, blow a fallen eyelash off the tip of your finger. But what does one wish for? Something frivolous or something se...

I'm not one to make official New Year's resolutions because, let's face it, I never keep them. But I also looked back at 2021 and, although I made some progress with my writing, there were several things started and nothing finished. So I bought myself a planner and I've set myself some goals. I'm hoping that having a physical "reminder" will help me be more focused!   First walk of the year. It was a warmish day, but the creeks still had ice.  Snippet from my current WIP, Fangs for the Memories : Even vampires can have body issues! Alex was born in the late 1940s and changed in 1969, so he grew up reading comic books, and the comics back then had several pages of advertisements. Do they now? I haven't read a mass produced comic book in years and I don't know! From Alex's POV: I stood and pushed down my slacks, bending as I pulled them off.          As I straightened, Alex said, “You’re so thin.”         I crossed my arms over ...

Christmas in 20 days? I'm not ready! November was a busy month and I've got the feeling this month is going to be worse. Unfortunately, that means writing is going to be reduced to a few minutes here and there. Hopefully, I'll finish this section of Fangs for the Memories  this month, and then hit the rest of it hard after the first of the year, while finishing up the edits of the Campfire Stories series. I'm looking to publish it soon. Fingers crossed!  Peppercorn thinks the mantel is his. It's decorated now and he's not happy with me.  He'll get it back in a month.  Snipping again from Fangs for the Memories : A bit of a continuation from last week ( part one here) . Rollie feels guilty after spending Thanksgiving day with some friends, as if he has somehow cheated on Alex. Alex reassures him that it was alright. It results in their first kiss.    I didn’t get a chance to continue. Rollie’s hands were suddenly on my shoulders and I was being shoved agains...

For those who did NaNoWriMo, I hope your month went well. I tried it twice, and made it through once, but that was before I started my cookie business. Now, the baking starts in October and won't end until a few days before Christmas, so very little gets done on the writing side of things. Maybe I'll use January as my challenge month. Just burrow in with a blanket and a cup of hot something, and try to ignore the cold outside! Peppercorn found his new spot before we were even done! This week's snippet is again from Fangs for the Memories . It's Thanksgiving and Alex is spending the evening with Rollie. Rollie is feeling guilty that he spent the day with friends and Alex is feeling, well, a myriad of emotions: “Rollie, I’m sorry I can’t be with you during the day.” “Because of your…condition?” And I was reminded again that he had no clue to what I was. This was it, the moment I needed to spell it out for him. Because if either of us was lying, it was me, even if it w...

I've been mainly editing for the last few weeks, but I've managed a few words on Fangs for the Memories , my vampire project. (Because, even when editing, writers gotta write! Am I right?) I've decided taking a short story and making it into a full novel is harder than it looks. I had this idea that I was going to write a few more shorts to add to it-- quick and easy. That's not how it's playing out, at all. Silly me. I just hope, when it's done, it's coherent.  Afternoon walk at the nature center. Alex, the central vampire of the novel, has become involved with a young man, not quite out of his teens yet. For anyone who didn't read my "Alex becomes a vampire" thread from my summer entries, Artie is his sire. “ Play, but don’t get attached .”          That’s what Artie had said when he caught on to how much time I was spending with Rollie, and the comment was replaying itself in my thoughts as I drove through town towards the University. It was...

The boss is back from vacation so I'd hoped to get more writing done this week than I did. I don't know if it's the story or if it's me. But like always, I'll keep plodding along and eventually it'll all come together! An echo of how I'm feeling lately--tattered and tired.  More from my Fangs for the Memories WIP. It's 2004 and Alex is taking an Intro to Word class, and he's confused. Thankfully, the guy sitting next to him offers to help.  Told from (vampire) Alex's POV:  “I just don’t get it,” I finally muttered, surrendering.      “Need help?” whispered the young man sitting two desks over. I’d noticed him before, but hadn’t spoken to him. He ducked his head shyly when I snapped my head up to stare at him.      “Help? Maybe just hit me with a club.” This was our third week of class and I was barely keeping up.      He grinned at my exasperation. It was a cute grin. There were dimples involved and his warm brown eyes twinkle...

I've started the next section of Fangs for the Memories . The story picks up again in 2004, 35 years after Alex was saved by Artie. This book is an expansion of my short story for Working Stiffs. It told of the "reunion" of Alex/Aja and Rollie and takes place in an alternative 2020. (That's what happens when you write a story in 2019 for a 2020 publication!) So I'm trying to write their meet cute and the beginning of their relationship. And right now I wish I was a plotter instead of a pantser. I've got several ideas about the story's direction, but I can't decide which way to go. It would be so nice to have a writing friend, or two, to sit down and brainstorm with! I have this image of a coffee shop and steaming mugs.  Maybe someday. Nature-based example of how my story ideas are in my head! So, as I said, it's 35 years later and Alex is trying to learn new skills. He may look 23 but he's approaching 60, and he's really feeling it. Told fr...

This week's snippet is a little long, but I'm taking a break for the next few weeks while my boss is on vacation, which means I'll be spending more hours at the store and less on writing.  From my last "official" walk of the summer.  I'm still snipping from Fangs for the Memories , but I've jumped ahead to the last paragraphs of the chapter.  (read  part one ,  part two ,  part three ,  part four ,  part five ,  part six , part seven )  Alex is safely tucked into the back of Artie's panel truck. It's nearly sunrise and Artie and Sally are planning the day. And Artie has a (maybe unwelcome) revelation. Told from Artie's POV: “Is he dangerous?” Sally reached out as if she wanted to touch [Alex], but then pulled her hand back.           I cupped her cheek. “I’m not dangerous, and neither is he. But he will be disoriented. So, if he wakes and I don’t, talk to him. Keep him calm. He’ll go right back to sleep.”   ...

It's been a rough week. I lost a friend (to cancer) and I have a family member who isn't doing well. Waiting for a phone call feels like being in suspended animation at times. And yet, there is work to do and bills to pay. Time doesn't stop, even if it feels like it should.  I've finished Artie's section of Fangs for the Memories and started the next section (which will be Alex's). But I still have edits to complete on the Campfire Stories series as I get it ready to publish, so I need to set Fangs aside for a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed, I'll actually be able to do that! I'm going to continue with the chapter I've been snipping over the last weeks. In his attempt to save Alex after he was hit by a car, Artie, a 300 year-old+ vampire, is doing what he can to make the change before it's too late. He's drained some blood from Alex but now he needs the young man to swallow some of his blood. He'd suggested that Sally wait in the truck,...

If it wasn't for the mosquitoes, this would be the best time of year. It's cool enough to have the windows open, but warm enough we can still wear shorts and t-shirts. With any luck, it'll stay this way until November. Not likely, but we can hope! This week's snippet is a continuation of my Vampire WIP,  Fangs For the Memories . It's 1969 and Artemis, a 300 year-old + vampire, has spent the last week with a young couple. A flat tire in the early hours of the morning turns into a crisis when Alex is hit by a passing vehicle and his girlfriend, Sally, begs Artemis to save him. Alex has consented but Artie fears he's waited too long. From Artemis' POV:   (read  part one ,  part two ,  part three ,  part four , part five ,)   And even that, ripping into his flesh this way, was wrong. This should be solemn and ceremonial, not this frenzied feed. I gulped two, three more times and sat back up.   Under normal conditions I would have drained him t...

I love my back yard. During the summer, I spend every minute possible there. But it also puts a dent into my writing (although I do take out a notebook and edit when I can.) But now, the temperature has dropped so our pool time is over. Which means more writing time. Who knows, I might actually finish my current WIP! Shade and sunshine, side by side.  This week's snippet is a continuation of my Vampire WIP,  Fangs For the Memories . It's 1969 and Artemis, a 300 year-old + vampire, has spent the last week with a young couple. A flat tire in the early hours of the morning turns into a crisis when Alex is hit by a passing vehicle and his girlfriend, Sally, begs Artemis to save him. Alex has consented but Artie fears he's waited too long. From Artemis' POV:   (read  part one ,  part two ,  part three , part four ) There are stories and myths among my kind about how the change happens, but no science has ever found a virus or antibody that passes from vampi...

I'm getting ready for a yard sale next weekend (when it's cooler), which has cut into my writing time. I'm trying to get rid of things we won't want to move when the time comes. I'm being premature because it'll be a few years, I'm sure. But, hopefully, future me with thank present me. Having a sale is probably more work than what it's worth, but hopefully, I'll get rid of some stuff and have a little fun money to show for the effort! Sunflower and friend. I love to watch the bees in my back yard.  This week's snippet is a continuation of my Vampire WIP,  Fangs For the Memories . It's 1969 and Artemis, a 300 year-old + vampire, has spent the last week with a young couple. A flat tire in the early hours of the morning turns into a crisis when Alex is hit by a passing vehicle and his girlfriend, Sally, begs Artemis to save him. Alex has consented but Artie fears he's waited too long. From Artemis' POV:   (read  part one ,  part two , p...

I'm working on three projects right now and I've decided that really isn't a smart thing for me to do. I mean, combined, I'm moving ahead, but individually, it's hard to measure my progress. Hopefully, I'll finish one of the projects within the next three weeks. Then I can concentrate better. (Fingers crossed!) I'm fascinated by spider webs and there have been so many on my morning walks.  This week's snippet is a continuation of my Vampire WIP,  Fangs For the Memories . It's 1969 and Artemis, a 300 year-old + vampire, has spent the last week with a young couple. A flat tire in the early hours of the morning turns into a crisis when Alex is hit by a passing vehicle and his girlfriend, Sally, begs Artemis to save him. But Artemis has one rule--Alex has to consent. From Artemis' POV:   (read  part one here ,  read part two here ) “Alex, say yes. Please, say yes.” She shook him and he groaned, but his eyes fluttered and she said it again. “Say yes.”...

We've reached that part of summer where everything seems overgrown and the humidity is oppressive and thoughts of fall have begun to creep in. Except winter follows fall and I don't like cold weather anymore. Plus, we've had so much "haze" this summer, it's been difficult to enjoy the pool. Somehow, everything feels a bit "off".   Scenery from an afternoon walk at the local Nature Center.  This week's snippet is a continuation of my Vampire WIP, Fangs For the Memories . It's 1969 and Artemis, a 300 year-old + vampire, has spent the last week with a young couple. A flat tire in the early hours of the morning becomes a crisis when Alex is hit by a passing vehicle and his girlfriend, Sally, begs Artemis to save him. From Artemis' POV:   (read  part one here ) “I don’t care. He’s dying.”               I wanted to do it. My instincts were screaming at me to forget the rules that the Council had set--the very Council that I...

In 2020 I participated in the Working Stiffs anthology, with each story featuring vampires in the work place. It was such a fun project to be involved with and as I wrote my short story, in my imagination, I created a history for each side character and how they all came to be together. I've pulled out my notes and I'm hoping to expand the original 10k to 60k. I'd like to say it'll be ready by the first of October, but at the rate I'm going, probably not.  The hibiscus have been particularly lovely over the last couple of weeks. I'm going to dive right in. Please excuse any roughness-- this is a first draft. This part of the story takes place in 1969. Artie, a 300 y/o vampire, has picked up a couple of young hitchhikers. A few hours before dawn, they've had a flat tire, and while they are changing it, a passing car hits Alex. Told from Artie's POV: “Save him!” Sally insisted as she wrapped her arms around her injured lover.  I hadn’t told them. All wee...

This week I finished the first draft of my Oakley short, which will be part of the Fangs for the Memories collection (if anyone wants to beta read it, give me a shout), but I got very little done on my Cinders and Ash book (#3 of the Campfire Stories series). I don't know if it's my slacking attention span (because of world events) or if it's because this is my first attempt at writing M/F –outside of the relationships in the Headphones trilogy, and that's a whole different animal– and it's been too long since I read one. I think I need to take a day and really try to plot it out (I'm normally a pantser) but at this rate, I'm not going to hit even close to my goal date. Sigh. (I think the kits are discussing the foolishness of humans.)  I'm continuing with an excerpt from Smoke and Sparks , book 2 of the Campfire Stories series. Lindsey has spent the night with her best friend, Vaughn, and told him that Daryl must really love him.   Part one ...