Sadie Jay

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...

The week started out nice. There was sun. There was warmth. And now it's cold, it's gloomy, and we had snow flurries today. Can we not do this, please? I really need to move to a warmer climate! The sun through the window hit this basket of artificial fall leaves and made them glow!  This snippet from Headphones: Fall Out is a chapter opening that starts out descriptive with Headphones reflecting on the changes in her life since the first of the year. I wrote this ten years ago, but it feels very much like the weather we're having now!  The brittle leaves still hanging on the oak trees rattled around Headphones as the occasional gusts of wind blew her hair across her face. The trees were patchworks of fall colors–evergreens still wearing their green while some of the hardwoods were red and yellow, with many already naked and settled into their winter hibernation. It had been a damp day with thick fog rising with the dawn, and mist that turned into a light almost-drizzle. B...

My snippet this week comes from Headphones , a "vanity" project, I suppose. It was an online serial I wrote 10 years ago as a challenge to myself to finally finish something, and after, rewritten in book form. It's not polished, and kind of all over the place, but I still love the characters. Headphones was a character that came to me in high school, written in bits and pieces over 30 years before I put it all together. Originally, Scoey wasn't a queer character, but when Jay popped into my head in 2013, I knew they belonged together. Somehow, the story became less about Headphones, and more about Scoey and Jay.  The Headphones Trilogy One of the main settings of Headphones is the University bar that Scoey's brother, Richard, owns. This scene from Fall Out  takes place on Halloween night, and the crew are all in costume:      Somehow Scoey made it through the night, the crush of costumed partiers proof that Jay and Headphones were right about Halloween and wee...

For this week's snippet, I'm going back to Headphones . In the second book, Sunshine Smile , both Headphones and Scoey have negative reactions to fireworks. I wrote the original serial version of this ten years ago, but it feels relevant this week, as my neighbors have set off fireworks all week at all times of the night. I'm exhausted.   In this scene, Scoey experiences a bad case of PTSD. His military career ended when he got caught in an attack and wounded. ...the fireworks ignited directly overhead with echoing explosions that rattled [Scoey's] bones. Each detonation pulled him apart until it was overwhelming, and he ducked his head and covered his ears with his hands. His eyes were darting, showing too much white, like a cornered animal searching for an escape. Jay caught his jerky movements out of the corner of his eye and went to Scoey, circling an arm around his waist. Something was very wrong. Encouraging Scoey to stand, Jay led him into the storeroom. He colla...

Season's Greetings for whatever holiday you observe. Or wishes for a nice day for you who don't. It's such a hectic time of year under normal circumstances, and this year has been compounded for me by the sale of the store I've worked for over 26 years. I didn't know what to expect—I was the office manager's assistant before, but I assumed I would end up back on the floor. Instead, I'm apparently still in the office, helping the new owner transition. Talk about getting thrown into the deep end of the pool because they thought I knew how to swim! So I've had a crash course becoming the new Office Manager. The worst time of the year to be doing this!    On top of everything else, I still had my home baking business to manage! But everything got baked and delivered, and then some. The family is getting lots of cookies to take home since I miscounted and over baked! This week's snippet is from Headphones: Fall Out with one of the few Christmas scenes I...

I decided to put the original draft of Headphones on Vella since it was written in serial style. Easy-peasy, I thought. Not so much. Turns out a big percentage of the snapshots were shorter than the required 600 words. So this project is going to take up more of my time than I'd first imagined!   A snippet taken from the  Headphones Vella:  The voice echoes up the steps, hollow and heartbreaking in its isolated misery. Headphones feels like a voyeur sitting on the top step listening to Mick’s sorrow flow out in his song. The lyrics are new to her, nakedly emotional, a melding of words she’s never heard before. There is the possibility that they were authored by some other mind, but they’re too personal, the hitch in his voice too jarring. There is no doubt in her mind; they are Mick’s words, written after Joey’s death. “I lost September Death was there and you were gone I didn't just loose September It took my youth when it took you. We were young and happy and caref...

Where has the year gone? I'm not ready for the holidays at all. I wish I could say I look forward to cooler weather, but it just feels gloomy to me. And I feel closed in. We were lucky to have a mild enough summer that we didn't have to run the air conditioner much. I really prefer when the windows are open. But it's here, so I guess I need to change my attitude and try to enjoy it! My Headphones trilogy covers one year in the life of a group of friends. Book 3, Fall Out , is September through the new year. Today's snippet is the beginning of November, roughly in the middle of the book. Headphones is reflecting on how quickly the year has gone by as she walks. The brittle leaves still hanging on the oak trees rattled around Headphones as the occasional gusts of wind blew her hair across her face. The trees were patchworks of fall colors–evergreens still wearing their green while some of the hardwoods were red and yellow, with many already naked and settled into their wi...

We went from hot weather to cool overnight. Which means for the next few days I'll spend less time outside in the pool and more time inside writing and editing. (At least in theory.) I did make some progress on my Fangs book this week, and I'm close to hitting my editing goals, so I'd consider this past week a win.  It's County Fair Time! Conclussion :    This week's snippet is from  Fall Out , the third book of the Headphones trilogy. There are flashbacks throughout the series, and this selection is one of Mick's. In his younger days, he was known as Micky and was the lead singer of a successful British band. Joey played lead guitar and was Mick's best friend. The flashback takes place in 1999 and is the morning after a wild party to celebrate Joey's birthday:  ( part one here , part two here ): “Gore, my head!” Joey said, but smiled at the same time. “Cheers, mate. That was genius!”            Micky found a pair of pants and pulle...

Some weeks drag-- this one did not. I was completely lost every day. It's amazing I made it to work on the right days! My morning walk companion this week. This week's snippet is from  Fall Out , the third book of the Headphones trilogy. There are flashbacks throughout the series, and this selection is one of Mick's. In his younger days, he was the lead singer in a successful band. Joey played lead guitar and was Mick's best friend. The flashback takes place in 1999 and it's Joey's birthday ( part one here ):         At some point a cake appeared. Micky didn’t remember eating any of it, but when he woke, parts of his body were sticky with crumbs and what he suspected was more than icing. He should have felt bad that he couldn’t put a face with the activity, but he hoped it had included one of the women draped across the bed as he chose to ignore the icing spread across Joey’s face. By the shambles of the room, it appeared very little cake had made it onto plate...

...go away. I'm sure we've had wetter Julys, but I don't remember when. Although, if we can trust the Weather Channel, we should have sun for the next week. I've given up on the weeds in my garden. They win.  Yes, that path is a 45° angle (or maybe steeper!) I don't walk that path. Ever.  This week's snippet is from Fall Out , the third book of the Headphones trilogy. There are flashbacks throughout the series, and this selection is one of Mick's. In his younger days, he'd gone by Micky and was the lead singer in a successful band. Joey played lead guitar and was Mick's best friend. The flashback takes place in 1999:            Micky shook his head sideways at Joey’s antics, but took the offered bag of powder and stuck his finger in. He wasn’t as big a fan of speed as his best friend was; he usually preferred the giggly lightness that he got from pot, but it was Joey’s birthday. The night swirled out of control after that. The party grew as the h...

My writing and editing have gone on a December hiatus. It wasn't planned, and at first I tried to slot in at least a few minutes every day, but it wasn't to be. My folks got Covid and my dad was in the hospital for the better part of a week, so I've been running things out to them. And then we've had people out at work, one that was sick and a handful of others that were quarantined, so I've worked more hours than planned. And in-between all of that, I've got cookie orders to fill. I'm so ready to get back to my regular life!  And we had our first snow! (It was only an inch, and it melted quickly, but it was pretty while it lasted.)        For this week's snippet, I'm going back to Headphones. It's from the third book of the trilogy, Fall Out . This scene takes place in December and Headphones has been walking in the snow:         It had grown dark by the time she made it home. She stood in the street and stared at The House, admiring the war...

The first thing I wrote after I finished the original on-line serialized version of Headphones was a short book titled When Silverfish Dance . It's book 1 in a planned duology. Hopefully, I'll get the second book written soon. It's in my head--now to just get it on paper! (so to speak)  This snippet will be told in 4 parts and is from the first chapter. Barry is reflecting on the man he met the night before. He'd slipped Morgan his phone number and was surprised when the man actually called. This is his thoughts after he hangs up. I also should note, the story takes place in 1973. (This is from the first draft, so please pardon any rough spots or typos!):     “Twiggy!” Barry chuckled as he hung up the phone and rolled over onto his back. It never entered his mind that he looked like the elfin model, but he’d take it as a compliment. His own hair under the wig was darker than her blond and his eyes were only blue when he wore contacts, and he was at least an inch short...

Back in April, when I first started my leave-of-absence, I went on a cleaning sweep. It didn't last long, or maybe I should say it didn't last long enough. Now I'm back at work, but only at a fraction of the hours that I used to put in each week– so I have plenty of time– but instead of housework, I've been reading. Twice as many books as I normally read. It's not the worse problem in the world to have, but I probably need to reorganize my days! This week's snippet is part three of three, ( read part one here ,  part two here ) taken from  Headphones: In From the Cold . Because the series has such a large cast, I chose to build my characters' backgrounds using flashbacks instead of dialogue or introspection, which would have created too much narrative, I feared. Jay is remembering the first time he had sex. It didn't end well: Except there never was a next time. The next morning, Brad wouldn’t look at him. He walked around the room pickin...

Another week of trying to keep my mental health on an even keel. It's not the easiest thing to do. I live in a rural "red" area where a person's politics is obvious by whether or not they're masked. And, not surprising, our Covid+ numbers are rising rapidly. But I did manage some writing. At this point, if I manage at least 200 words a day, I consider it a positive. I keep telling myself "This too shall pass". Actually, I'm glad I have my writing because it gives me something to focus on.   The youngest member of our kitty clowder. We simply call her Silver.  This week's snippet is part two of three, ( read part one here ) taken from  Headphones: In From the Cold . Because the series has such a large cast, I chose to build my characters' backgrounds using flashbacks instead of dialogue or introspection, which would have created too much narrative, I feared. Jay is remembering the first time he had sex:             In a dark corner ...

I'm finally making progress on my current WIP, Cinders and Ash . I hit the 40k mark, which feels like I'm in the home stretch. The first two books in the series are 60k and that was my goal for this one, but at this point, I'm going to be happy to hit 50k on the first draft, mainly because I feel like the beta readers are going to give me the kind of feedback that says "You need to add this and this and this." Plus, this book has been such a struggle, I simply want it done! Flowers from my morning walk.  This week's snippet is the first of three parts, taken from Headphones: In From the Cold . Because the series has such a large cast, I chose to build my characters' backgrounds using flashbacks instead of dialogue or introspection, which would have created too much narrative, I feared. This is part of Jay's story:          Scoey relaxed and stood up to get himself a mug of coffee. Their talk turned to chatter, but Jay’s mind wasn’t really on ...

Another week done. They all blend together right now. My husband and I drove to the Nature Center (about 4 miles) and walked the trails this morning, and he asked me when I'd last bought gas because the tank is nearly full. It's been weeks, but I rarely go anywhere. I guess that's one think I can count as a positive--saving money and wear-and-tear on the car. But I am so craving a road trip right now! This is where I want to be, but know it isn't going to happen again any time soon! This week's snippet is part 4 of 4, taken from  Sunshine Smile--Headphones book 2 .  Scoey and Jay are stuck in the walk-in freezer and things are heating up even while they're getting colder. From Scoey's POV. (To review--  Part 1 ,  Part 2 , Part 3 .) (Honestly, out of all of the characters I've written, Scoey and Jay will always be special to me.) There was no sound between them, no moans or sighs, as they reveled in that one single burning point. The tips of ...

I think one of the most exciting things about publishing, whether it's traditional or self, is seeing your story come to life with a cover. While writing Headphones back in 2013, I played around with a series of drawings, trying to put a face to my characters. When I began my search for pictures to use as covers, I really didn't have a clue what to look for. And to be honest, I wasn't giving much thought to my pictures. But once the covers were done, I pulled them out for comparison. And I think I did a pretty good job! Headphones Trilogy  Five different relationships, five different stories--tangled together with the young woman they call Headphones at the center of it all. Homeless and lost, all Headphones wanted on that cold January day was a place to rest. What she found in the bright college bar was a group of people who took her in, offering her a home and a chance to make music again. Told over the course of a year, In From The Cold introduces ...

This is Silver. She's a little sweetie. For some reason, the rest of Momma Cat's last litter hang out at the neighbor's house, but this one spends most of her time with us. I'm hoping to find a home for her, but if not, we'll keep taking care of her.  This week's snippet is part 3 of 4, taken from Sunshine Smile--Headphones book 2 .  Scoey and Jay are stuck in the walk-in freezer and things are beginning to heat up even while they're getting colder. From Scoey's POV. (To review-- Part 1 and Part 2 .)        Jay’s cold lips against his skin sent a shiver through Scoey’s body but his breath was a warm mist against his jaw.   His heart was beating fast and he wondered if Jay could hear it, but he thought he must when his arms tightened against his ribs. He buried his own chilled face into the dark hair, trying to warm his cheek with Jay’s heat.        He hadn’t meant to do it, but Jay looked up at him and they were too clos...