A warm welcome to author Wade Kelly joining us today here at Love Bytes to talk about her new release “No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys”. Wade talks about writing and how to inprove in an inspirational guestpost and she brought along a wonderful giveaway !

Welcome Wade 🙂

Striving to Improve

I think it is important as a writer to always strive to improve your writing. If you think you’ve mastered it, then in my opinion you are deceiving yourself. Language, culture, and the English language is always changing. People and times change, so therefore you have to make part of your career a thirst for knowledge in how to improve. If I wrote about the same exact thing in every book, I’d be boring. And if I set everything from my knowledge of 2010 and never looked around to see how the world has changed since then, then my work comes off old and stale. I need to keep up with the times as well as learning the tools of my trade.

Just because I used a comma correct in one sentence, doesn’t mean I am going to keep doing it right. For me, grammar is a killer. I KNOW this is why we have editors! But I think it is important for authors to strive to make editor’s jobs easier by learning how to use the writing essentials. I basically suck at grammar! This is why I took a class in Modern English Grammar in the fall of 2013. I knew I needed it. I was horrible in English in high school. I was a math major. English confused me. But low and behold I became a published author in 2009. OH. MY. GOSH! I don’t know how that happened when I am normally so bad at articulating myself in real life. My tongue gets tied. My words tumble over one another. There is a shirt on TeeChimp (or somewhere) that says, “I write better than I talk.” I so need that shirt (in a large) because that is so ME.

Writing is difficult! Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking it is easy. Even if you have a story idea—because sometimes they just POP in my head out of nowhere—writing a story with a PLOT, realistic characters, plot twists, believable sexual content, engaging dialogue, and a “happily ever after” that fans love IS VERY DIFFICULT INDEED! But like most things, practice makes perfect—or at least better. When I took that grammar class, I learned what the tools of my trade were. I was wowed. I had a wonderful teacher and one of her exercises in class inspired my novel Misplaced Affection. In class she referenced a book called Image Grammar and talked about seeing a writer as an artist. I LOVED her class. I wrote down the title of the book but never got it. Typing this post made me look it up and put it in my Amazon cart because I really do need to reread my grammar notes from the class and read the book on grammar she had recommended.

This is stop #5 in the Blog Tour for JOCK 2 No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys. JOCK 2 is the much anticipated sequel to My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! When I wrote JOCK 1 I was not thinking, “OH, what will the sequel be???” I sort of knocked around some ideas for what characters might say—especially Rob—but I never sat down and came up with an idea for a story. This was because I am slow. I have typically taken a year to write one novel. Or, only written one novel in a years’ time even if it only took a few months. JOCK 1 was written in about three months in 2012, but I didn’t write another novel in the remainder of that year. I was editing The Cost of Loving because it needed SERIOUS work, so it took up all my time.

In contrast to where I was then, JOCK 2 took about 3 months to write and while I was waiting on edits etc., I wrote Bankers’ Hours, which took 9 weeks. AND THEN, I started writing JOCK 3! I have 72k at the moment (halfway through December) and I hope to finish it soon! This is phenomenal for me! It is all a part of my plan to improve as a writer. Not only do I want to learn grammar and understand the mechanics and tools of my trade, but I want to learn and adopt consistency. Writing every day is the way to get books written. However, I haven’t been able to write everyday since the kids started school in the end of August and this has slowed me down considerably. I need to find that rhythm again!

I want to give my readers the quality they deserve as well as more than one book a year! Starting in December 2015 with No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys. I hope to bring you a novel every 3-4 months (maybe every 4-5mo) starting now. Wouldn’t that be cool??? I’m going to try. Bankers’ Hours should come out in March 2016 🙂

What is a sexy soccer stud supposed to do when “following family tradition” falls 180 degrees opposite his closeted ideal?

From birth, Chris Jackson has been schooled on how to land a cheerleader. After all, his father married one, and his father’s father before him. Heck, even his older brother married a stereotypical cheerleader the summer before Chris went off to college. For two years, Chris dodges invasive questions about relationships by blaming his lack of female companionship on grueling practices and heavy coarse loads. But his lack of interest in girls should’ve given his family a clue. It isn’t until Chris mentions meeting a boy that his father’s synapses short-circuit.

Alonzo Martin is anything but a buxom blond. From his black hair, combat boots, and trench coat to his nail polish and guyliner, the mysterious introvert isn’t easily persuaded to date. Alonzo’s insecurities keep Chris at arm’s length, but Alonzo’s painful past might meet its match in the charismatic jock’s winning smile and sense of humor.

When opposites attract, only cheerleaders and gummy bears can help overcome fear and family tradition.

Buy Links:

DSP link to No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys

Amazon Link to No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys

Thank you so much for stopping by Love Bytes Reviews to read my post!

~ Wade

P.S. As a thank you I have several giveaways. Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win an Amazon gift certificate. I am going to take all the names from all the comments from all the blog stops and put them in a drawing. I have 8 stops including this one. The more comments you make then higher your chances of winning. I will have 3 winners of a $10 Amazon gift certificate, and for those who comment on ALL 8 STOPS, I will enter each of them into a grand prize drawing good for:

1. An eBook from my backlist of your choice,
2. A $10 Amazon gift certificate,
3. A Wade Kelly Spoon in the colors of your choice :), and
4. One autographed paperback copy of the novel of their choice (Includes all the books in my back list, as well as JOCK 2 AND Bankers’ Hours coming up in March)

Note: I am willing to mail things to other countries so don’t let that stop you!

The links to the previous stop is BELOW:

GGR – cover reveal

RGR – Writing What I know: Emotion

Jeff Adams – Finding a Muse

The Novel Approach – Writing My Own Experiences

Multitasking Momma – Every Character Has a Job!

Leave a comment on any of these stops for a chance to win!

 

AND… and…. I DID an interview with Jeff Adams for his and Will’s Pod Cast. You may like to check that out!

Interview that Wade did with Jeff Adams Here

 

Again, Thank you for stopping by!

 

~Wade Kelly

Wade Kelly lives and writes in conservative, small-town America on the east coast where it’s not easy to live free and open in one’s beliefs. Wade writes passionately about controversial issues and strives to make a difference by making people think. Wade does not have a background in writing or philosophy, but still draws from personal experience to ponder contentious subjects on paper. There is a lot of pain in the world and people need hope. When not writing, she is thinking about writing, and more than likely scribbling ideas on sticky notes in the car while playing “taxi driver” for her three children. She likes snakes, can’t spell, and has a tendency to make people cry.

Links to all my stuff:

Web: http://www.writerwadekelly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wadekellywriter

Blog: www.writerwadekelly.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterWadeKelly

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/wade-kelly