Welcome, lovely readers! Thank you for stopping by Love Bytes Reviews for this leg of the Blog Tour for JOCK 3—Back Off! That’s My Jock. You’ve probably noticed I’ve done a number of character interviews for this tour where the characters ask ME questions. I thought it was a bit different, and hopefully entertaining.

My newest novel, and latest in the JOCK Series, comes out Friday. FRIDAY! I can’t believe it! You can order it HERE.

Now, how about that interview! Sam, why don’t you introduce yourself.

Sam: Hello. My name is Sam Garber. I am the new character in JOCK 3. My name was mentioned in JOCK 2, No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys, but I didn’t have a speaking part. I think I was written as a way to mess with Doug Archer’s head.

Wade: Sam, you would be right. I needed a way to get to Doug so he’d realize he wasn’t straight, and that was okay.

Sam: You did a good job. Both Doug and I go through a period of adjustment. He was slow to realize himself, where I knew myself but was scared to be me. Do you enjoy causing angst for your characters?

Wade: I love angst. In fact, the JOCK Series as a whole has relatively mild angst. I have something I call the “Wade Kelly Scale” to inform readers of the angst level in my books. When Love Is Not Enough, for example, is a 10 on the scale. Suicide will do that. JOCK 1, My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! is a 2 on the scale with minimal angst.

Sam: Where does Back Off! That’s My Jock fit in?

Wade: I’d say a 3. The second book, No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys had a little more angst as the stuff with Alonzo was woven throughout the story. Your stuff, Sam, wasn’t as widespread in the novel. Your trials were more subtle, except for one scene, so I can’t say I’d rate the angst higher than a 3. JOCK 4, however, may also end up being a 4 on the scale with JOCK 2.

Sam: Good to know. I know I’d like to be prepared if I was going to read something that would rip my heart out.

Wade: Exactly. You can visit my WEBSITE to view the scale.

Sam: It seems like you’ve gone the extra mile to help your readers. Are there other ways you think you’ve gone above the norm to help out?

Wade: I try to answer questions on Goodreads. I answer my emails normally with in a couple hours if not that day. I have a fan group on Facebook and I try to give little things to them like birthday cards and random packages. I have a “pay it forward” group, although I admit to slacking on it this year. My intent was to pick 5 people every year and send them little things during the year. So far, I’m slow at doing that, but the group is still on my mind. I really like to know my fans personally. They are the reason I have a career in writing. My readers give me tons of support and encouragement and I truly appreciate them! I have a hug for anyone who wants one. I love to chat, so please don’t hesitate to talk to me.

Sam: How do you keep your spark alive?

Wade: Funny you ask that because I feel my spark is dimming. I’ve had a crazy busy year and a lot of weird crap happening. Some sickness in the family, but also weird stuff with my own health. I’m taking it all one day at a time. I am confident the creative spark with become the flame it once was. I am trying to write JOCK 4. I have MANY ideas on my white board with plans of jumping on to the next storyline as soon as I’m done with this one. I will not stop writing, don’t fear, I’m simply slow. I have too many things going on at once in my personal life that writing can be put off unintentionally.

 

Sam: I understand it when life gets in the way. I love to play soccer, but when I was home in Iowa before moving to McDaniel College, I remember many times when my dad had other “important” things for me to do, and soccer got put off until later. I’m only glad I didn’t lose my fast footwork while I was slacking.

Will you tell the readers a couple tings you’ve learned about the business?

Wade: 1) Someone will always hate your book. I don’t care how good it is, someone will hate it!

2) Someone will always love your book. Love and hate go hand in hand. With the vast number of readers in the world, chances are that someone will love you, as well as hate you.

3) There are crappy people in the world who will pirate your book &/or plagiarize it. I don’t know how these people sleep at night, but they continue to prey on writers and give away their hard work for free. OR, steal your words and try to pass them off as their own. Sad, and horrible, but true.

4) There are decent people in the world who report those pirate sites and call attention to plagiarized works. There are MANY readers out there and sometimes you just have to trust that the honest ones will have your back and report illegal activity.

• In short, life has its ups and downs and there is always a positive for a negative, even if you have to wait for it.

In closing, let me ask you a question, Sam. What is your favorite part of the book?

Sam: Without giving any spoilers, I like the soccer field scene under the stars. That moment for me really solidified everything I’d been feeling up until then.

Wade: Great scene. I think it may be my favorite too! For those readers who would like to know what the book it about….

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Blurb:

Defining his sexuality didn’t make sense until his best friend spelled it out.

Doug Archer did some pretty idiotic things in the first eight weeks of his junior year of college. First, he kissed his gay best friend, and second, he kissed a guy he’d mistaken for a girl. Not stellar moments for Doug. If he isn’t careful, he’ll lose his spot on the soccer team to the new freshman, or worse, he might misconstrue his new friend Rob’s overly affectionate tendencies for flirting. But if Doug isn’t bothered by another guy’s attention, and he normally dates girls, does that mean he’s gay or bisexual?

Sam Garber suppressed his same-sex attraction his entire life. His father told him it was immoral, and Sam did everything he could to bury his feelings. However, after meeting Doug at a party and kissing him, Sam can’t think of anything else. He decides dating girls is the best way to keep his secret hidden. With playoffs in sight, this is no time to think about guys in any other context than soccer. Only, neither boy anticipates the difficulty in suppressing his attraction for another jock!

I think it’s a fun read.

Wade: I guess that concludes the interview for this guest post. Thank you, Sam for joining me, and thank you Love Bytes for hosting me. Join me for more fun on the other stops of this tour:

July 27^th – Caraway Carter’s Wednesday Walkabout

August 1^st – Jeff and Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast.

August 17^th – 2 Chicks Obsessed

August 19^th – Prism Alliance

August 22^nd – Love Bytes Reviews

August 24^th – Ashley John’s blog

August 25^th – Dreamspinner Press’ Blog

August 26^th – Release Day! I’m on Elisa Rolle’s blog

August 29^TH – Joyfully Jay

August 30^th – Long & Short Reviews

August 31^st – TTC Books & More

September 2^nd – MM Good Book Reviews

As for the giveaways… I, Wade Kelly, will be giving away one GRAND PRIZE (items listed below) and three runner up prizes of a $10 gift card for Amazon. What you need to do is leave a comment. ALL comments are logged for a chance at the prizes. ONLY those who leave a comment on ALL eleven blog stops will be entered into the Grand Prize drawing. Last time I think there were 15 people in the Grand Prize drawing.

Note: If we’ve never chatted and you aren’t on Facebook, it is a good idea to leave an e-mail address because I need to know how to reach you. If I can’t, and I reply to your comment on the blog post that you’ve won but don’t hear from you, I have to give the prize to the next person on my list. Each comment gets you a chance in the drawing. If you leave one on each, that is eleven entries PLUS you are listed in the Grand Prize drawing. For a reminder if the rules, and where I’m stopping next, visit my blog post HERE.

Grand Prize includes all of the following:

1. One of my famous spoons in the colors of your choice
2. A $10 gift card from Amazon
3. One paperback signed from my back list (Not counting JOCK 3)
4. An e-book copy of JOCK 4, when it comes out.
5. And last, but not least, a soccer jersey for the player of your choice from the players in JOCK 3. (I’ll list them on my website along with pictures of the jerseys. They come in adult S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, & 4XL)

So there you go. If you have any questions, please let me know. Comment here or email me: writerwadekelly@gmail.com

As an aside for those who are attending GRL who may want some of my books in paperback, I will not be selling anything in Kansas City. If you want Misplaced Affection, e-mail me. Any other book Dreamspinner may be bringing, but most likely they will only have my recent books. If you pre-order it, meaning you tell me what you want and pay me, I WILL BRING IT TO YOU IN KANSAS CITY.

I can be found on:

Web: www.writerwadekelly.com

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

Face book Fan group, The Wade Brigade: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247976895406172/

Blog: writerwadekelly.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterWadeKelly

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerwadekelly/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141623.Wade_Kelly

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/writerwadekelly/

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 children. She likes snakes, can’t spell, and has a tendency to make people cry.