Sadie Jay

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 ...

The weather here feels more like September than it does August. It's good for my electric bill, but also means no swimming, which is usually the highlight of my summer days. 2020 is proving to be not simply an episode of The Twilight Zone, but a whole entire season.  My current WIP is the third book in my Campfires series. I'm finally making some progress and I'm just hoping it's not a complete mess when I get done with this first draft. The first two books, Embers and Flame and Smoke and Sparks , are M/M, while Cinders and Ash is M/F, although the MCs from the first two books are side characters in this one, just like Lindsey was in theirs.   This week's snippet, from Cinders and Ash,  is from Lindsey's POV and she is speaking with Brian. She's having a bit of a panic attack: “I’m not girlfriend material,” I stated matter-of-factly. “I know. You told me that already.” “But you are.” “I’m girlfriend material?” “No, you doofus. Yo...

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...

As part of our new "get out of the house and exercise" routine, we've been going to the Nature Center that's only a few miles from our house and walking the trails. We go early in the morning while it's still cool and we've seen quite a few deer and other wild-life. Maybe being forced to slow down isn't a bad thing.  On the writing front:  I think we all have our favorite scenes in our writing-- something that gives us a little punch when we reread it, and hope it does the same for our readers. This scene in Sunshine Smile is one of those scenes for me.  This is part 2, continuing from last week. Scoey and Jay are stuck in the walk-in freezer and are waiting for Richard to let them out. Scoey is fairly heavily dressed, but Jay is wearing light summer clothing. Part 1 can be read here .  “Not sure this is the best place for a little manhandling, but sure, I’ll play,” Jay teased.  “Shut up,” Scoey said as he wrapped his arms around Jay and pull...