Sadie Jay

...or maybe not so happy. I'm not much for cold weather anymore! I'm writing this up quickly because I have to work over the weekend, but enjoy it if you can!  Peppercorn, ready for his closeup! (Actually, he was trying to help me write.) This week's snippet: Scoey has moved into The House and is feeling a bit lonely but Jay comes looking for him. Part 3 of 4. Read part 1 here and part 2 here .  “Whatcha doing?” Jay asked as he finished peeling off his winter gear and plopped gracelessly onto the couch.  “Exploring. This place is amazing, like some expensive B&B. Your apartment makes more sense now. Honey decorated it, didn’t she? I knew Richard didn't match the pillow shams with the curtains.” Jay shrugged--the apartment was like that when he'd moved in so he couldn’t say one way or another. “Has anyone told you about the attic? If you need anything, go explore. I went up there with Honey and Headphones. It’s amazing. I found an 80’s s...

So--I finally got through my first edit! Which means I'm looking for beta readers. If anyone is interested, contact me on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below. For anyone who doesn't know, a beta reader is just a "first" reader. I'm not looking for an editor, just some general feedback. And you get to read a free book. Blurb for Headphones: In From the Cold:             They don’t know her name, so they call her Headphones. Homeless and lost, all Headphones wants is a warm place to rest. What she finds in the bright bar is a group of people who take her in, offering her a home and a chance to make music again. Her new friends help her heal from the trauma that forced her to run, while she breaks them from the mundanity of their own lives.  Micky Shane walked away from the glamour of his Rock Star life when he lost his lead-guitarist and best friend, eventually settling in the small college town with a new name and a new band. He can’t c...

I had hoped to have my first edit of In From the Cold done this weekend, but the boss roped me into working, so I doubt I reach my goal. I need to learn to say no. (Usually, I'm good at the no word, but not when it comes to extra hours on the paycheck!) I've lost count, but I think Peppercorn is 16 weeks old. And completely full of spit and vinegar! This week's snippet is the first day after Scoey moves into The House (a sort of communal boarding house): It turned colder during the night and the drizzle from the day before morphed into something more solid. The snow fell in lazy swirls, big flakes that covered the ground like a white blanket. Scoey was working the evening shift, but for the moment he was by himself in the old mansion. Marcus, Bets, and Honey were at their office, Lenny was on campus, and he suspected that Headphones was spending her morning at the bar. The soft flop of his stockings on the wooden floor was the only sound as he explored. He’d b...

A break from Peppercorn this week. Instead, I thought I'd introduce everyone to Squirt, who took a while to warm up to our newest addition, but finally decided he can be fun to play with. I like the "writing games" on Twitter where there's a theme word and we post a sentence or two from our work. It's fun to do a search, see if the word is there, (or if it's been overused!). I tend to use it as an editing tool. But it can be limiting. One, maybe two sentences out of context. This week's #FridayKiss was #beautiful. And here is my Tweet--in context! It does make for a longer snippet, however.  From In From the Cold . Mick and Headphones are at Thirsties, the bar the group hangs out at:  Mick hadn’t seen Headphones earlier, but he startled when he turned his head to find her standing next to him. “Holy shit, woman. You’re too quiet.” Her smile was wide, showing the white of her teeth as she silently laughed at him. When he slid off his stool ...

We have two other cats, Squirt and Pip, who are both nearly 5 years old and we worried how they'd do with Peppercorn. Being a kitten, if he's awake, he's running and into things. And thankfully, the "oldsters" have accepted the idea that he's here to stay and have actually started to play with him. I really didn't want another cat--two in the house is plenty--but sometimes exceptions are made and we're glad for it! This week's snippet, from Sunshine Smile , is the conclusion- part 4 of 4.  ( Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 )  A little background on Annalise--she's Marcus' on-again, off-again girlfriend (Marcus is one of the housemates) so everyone puts up with her. She does nothing without it benefitting her in some way. She's really not nice. And she tends to dismiss Headphones, calling her the group's pet monkey. Headphones has every reason to dislike her: With a flimsy story about not waiting for Marcus anymore, Annalise he...

Peppercorn (11 weeks) Not the best picture, but I was trying to get one that would show the changes in his fur. His head, legs, and tail are black and have lost their fuzz, while his body is a reddish dark-brown and still long-haired. It'll be interesting to see how it all settles over the next few months. Oh, and the meds seem to have worked. Still the occasional sneeze, but no more matted eyes. This week's excerpt is part 3 of 4 from Headphones: Sunshine Smile . Annalise is the lead singer in another band and one of the housemates' girlfriend, although their relationship is rocky at best. She's not a pleasant person. Read part one here and part two here .  Mick was courteous to the brunette over the course of the next couple of hours, listening politely when she made suggestions. After the instruments were put away and the crew had grabbed their favorite beverages and perches, Annalise found a spot on the couch next to him. He threaded his fingers into t...

The day job is still taking too much of my time and energy so I didn't get very far on my editing. I've got two projects floating around in my head that I've been trying to take some notes on. One is a Christmas novella and the other is a short story for an anthology. I need to figure out a good way to divide my time and accomplish EVERYTHING. And still have time to splash around in my pool! 10 week-old Peppercorn has a bit of a cold, so there are matted eyes and kitty sneezes. Hopefully, the medicine will work quickly. Last week Headphones was having a breakdown . This week, Lenny and Honey talk her down:  “Okay, hon, backup and explain what’s going on to us less enlightened beings.” Honey took her hand and pulled her to the nearest chair, pushing her onto it with the hope that she could calm the girl down.  “Yeah, okay.” Headphones took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. “Ever since Mick was in the hospital Annalise has been hanging around. Get it?...