Jay Bell's Blog, page 4

Summer is coming to an end, and as usual, I wish I had spent more time in the sun. That’s the life of an author for you. We need somewhere with enough shade to see the laptop screen. Totally worth it though. I love this job. I’ve written quite a bit over the past few months because of it. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

I’ve completed work on my next novel, Straight Boy, which can now be preordered from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. We’re still working on the cover, but here’s the blurb from the back:

I love him. And I’m pretty sure he loves me back… even though he’s straight.

When I first met Carter King, I knew he was something special. I imagined us being together, and we are, but only as friends. Best friends! I’m trying to be cool with that, even though I know he has secrets, and there have definitely been mixed signals. I don’t want a crush to ruin what we already have. Then again, if there’s any chance that we can be together, it’s worth the risk, because Carter could be the love of my life. Or he might be the boy who breaks my heart.

You know what’s even cooler than a new book coming out? Seeing your name in print! I recently updated Patreon, and that’s one of our new perks. If you don’t know what Patreon is, or you don’t get why I’m always asking people to join me there, this post will help clarify things. Or if you’re more interested in all the rewards, like stories you won’t read anywhere else, autographed hardbacks, etc., you can get started here.

I wrote a new novella called Something Like Us, which reveals what happened to Noah, Harold, and Felix after the events of Something Like Hail. It’s currently a Patreon exclusive and is likely to remain that way. I enjoy adding the occasional short story to that mythos, but I still have no plans to publish further books in the series.

I’ve begun work on a new novel called Switch, which is unlike any story I’ve told before. I’m posting the book in weekly installments as it is being written. If you’ve ever wanted to be a beta reader for an author you enjoy, this is even better, because you can chime in with your opinion and potentially influence the final version of the story. Is that what an alpha reader is? Anyway, I’m sure you can guess by now where this is taking place.

I finally started a Tumblr account, where I am primarily posting preview art for the Something Like Summer comic. This includes rough sketches, line art, and other things. If you’d care to check it out, I’d certainly appreciate it!

I have a couple things in the pipeline that aren’t out in time for this update. Despite the long delay, the Something Like Summer movie is still on track to come out. I don’t have any more specific details than that, unfortunately. Something Like Hail should be out on audio in mid October. If you would like me to let you know when it’s available, please consider signing up for my newsletter.

That’s it for now. I hope you’re ready for the moody autumn weather ahead. Time to put away those shorts and get out your fanciest of fancy pants.

Much love to you!

-J

It seems like every year that goes by, I have less and less time, which makes it tough to update this blog and keep up with social media. I’m sure time is in short supply for many of you too, so I’ve decided to start doing quarterly updates. That way you can quickly see what’s new with me and my creative pursuits. Let’s get right to it!

-I’ve completed work on a new book with the working title of Blank Slate. As with Something Like Hail, this is a special project where I invited readers to vote on potential outcomes every chapter or so. While it will probably get a wide release eventually, for now I’m content to let it remain a Patreon exclusive. You can read the book in its entirety by joining us on that site. It’s two bucks a month to access all of these goodies. If you want to sign up for a single month, download all the stuff, and then bail, that’s perfectly fine with me. I hope you stick around though. New stuff is being added all the time. It’s a lot of fun! Blank Slate is the story of Cameron, a young man living in New York who is eager to find love. He receives advice from a circle of supportive friends, and while this is presented as a fictional story, my hope is that it can double as a guide to finding love in real life, should you need it.

-I’ve begun work on a new book with the working title of Straight Boy. I’m publishing this in installments on Patreon as I make progress, and if all goes well, it will likely be my next official release. Straight Boy is about a very complicated friendship between a Chicago teenager named Andrew, and his new friend Carter who is straight. … Probably. If you’ve ever wanted to watch a novel as it’s being created, this is your chance.

-Something Like Forever, the final book in the Something Like… series, is now out on audio. You can get it from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. If you’re wondering why Something Like Hail was skipped over, it’s because that one is more of a side adventure, and I didn’t want to keep anyone waiting for the conclusion of Ben and Tim’s story. I’m hoping to release Hail on audio later this year.

-The Something Like Summer comic is still going strong. It’s free to read on www.gaywebcomics.com, or if you prefer to consume digital content on your phone, I highly recommend downloading the Tapas app, where the comic is also available for free.

–Kamikaze Boys celebrated it’s sixth anniversary recently! If you haven’t read this story, it’s about two young guys who take on the injustices of the world. It’s my own gay Bonnie and Clyde. Kamikaze Boys also won a Lambda Literary award, which ain’t bad. You can learn more about that book here.

-I wrote a new short story called Something Like Stars, which is a humorous look at Marcello’s attempts to make a movie about Ben and Tim’s relationship. It’s very silly and a lot of fun. Something Like Stars currently a Patreon exclusive.

-Last month I traveled to Seattle to record the DVD commentary for the Something Like Summer movie. I know the wait has been grueling. Believe me, everyone involved in the movie is desperate for it to finally get released too. There are some boring legalities that need to happen first. Once they do, it should be full steam ahead. If you want to be notified of any updates in regards to the movie, you can sign up for the official newsletter here.

Thank you as always for your passion and support! You are loved!

Something Like Forever is now available on audio! If you’re thinking we skipped over a release, you’re right, but don’t worry. Something Like Hail will be out later this year. For now, you’re clear to listen to the final book, since Forever is more of a side adventure featuring mostly new characters. You can start listening over at Audible, iTunes, or Amazon. If you prefer print, you can get it from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Smashwords. The paperback can be found here.

With the Something Like… series now concluded, you may be wondering what’s next. I have many plans, some of which have already reached fruition. Over on Patreon, we’ve completed a new book with the working title of Blank Slate. You can read that in its entirety right now. If you’re not ready to say goodbye to Ben and the others, I’m still putting out bonus material on Patreon too. Like what? How about Ben Loves Tim: The Movie!, a tongue-in-cheek story in three parts about the Something Like… characters facing the possibility of a movie adaptation of their lives. There’s plenty more to sink your teeth into, as you can see from this list. I currently don’t have any plans to collect this material together for a wide release. I’ll spare you the lecture on why Patreon is so important to me and other indie artists. That’s the primary reason. I also want my next mass market release to be a real showstopper. I’m working on it. In the meantime, if you find yourself craving more stories from me, please do join us on Patreon, or perhaps take a look at my back catalog in case there is something you’ve missed, or read the free ongoing comic. Last but not least, the Something Like Summer movie is still happening. I don’t know when it will be out, and unfortunately, the reason for the delay involves boring legal things that can’t be avoided. Hang in there!

Two years ago, I decided to end the Something Like.. series. At the time I was feeling creative fatigue, which was unusual, because for me these books have been a source of unbridled joy for nearly a decade. I hated the thought that they might become an obligation or something I resented. So I decided to end it while I was still in love, a decision that has since felt like divorcing my dream guy. It doesn’t help that the fatigue soon disappeared, and I found myself reveling in every word I wrote again. Maybe because I knew that the end was coming. And here we are. Something Like Forever returns us to where it all began, with Ben and Tim. They’re back! And we get to share in their thoughts and feelings as all sorts of things go wrong and right, good memories made along with the bad. We also get to see many familiar faces for the final time, so please savor the experience while it lasts. I certainly did. Thank you all for making this series possible. That I got to write these books was deeply gratifying. I already know that I’ll look back on this period of my life as one of the very best. Yeah. So… Let’s do this! You can get your copy of Something Like Forever from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Smashwords. The paperback can be found here. The audio book should be out in late February, early March, if all goes well. Okay everyone! Deep breaths, brave hearts, aaaaaand GO!

December 13th is when the final Something Like… book will hit retail! This story returns us to where it all began—with Ben and Tim. It seems appropriate then that the cover should reflect that very first book. In more than one way! For most of us, the first time we saw Ben he was staring longingly at a hot guy leaning against a cool car. In the final cover, we see him inside a cool car, leaning against that very same hot guy. The past is reflected in the rearview mirror, but where will the road ahead take Ben and Tim? That’s for you to discover soon! If you want to get those eBook preorders in, you can do so on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Smashwords. If it’s the paperback you’re after, there is a page up on Amazon here. Audiobook listeners, I’ve already put in a request to have this one produced. I know we skipped over Something Like Hail, but that’s so we could get to Forever sooner. Don’t worry, there aren’t any details in Hail that you need to know before proceeding with the final installment. I’ll update you when the audio versions of both are available. My newsletter is the surefire way of being notified. My heartfelt thanks go out to anyone who preorders! I’ll touch bases with you all again next week!

Something Like Forever, the final book in the Something Like… series, is nearing publication. If you haven’t heard, this one is about Ben and Tim. It bounces back and forth between their perspectives and brings the entire saga to a close in the most emotional way possible. I’m hoping to have Forever out sometime in November or December, but some of you will be reading it much sooner than that. How about in a week or two? Patreon supporters who pledge eight bucks or more always receive my books early, usually more than a month in advance. Since I expect there will be a lot of interest in this release, I’m putting the offer out there once again. If you’re already convinced, you can sign up here. You’ll get a lot more than just the latest book. You can check out the wealth of content currently offered there by clicking here. For the rest of you, let’s do this question and answer style.

Q. Why are you always pushing this Patreon thing?

A. Because for the past two years, I’ve seen my royalties dwindle. There are a number of reasons why. What’s most important is that Patreon has compensated, keeping me at a level where I can focus on writing instead of seeking employment elsewhere. It’s not easy to earn a living as an author, especially in a genre that has limited market appeal.

Q. I can’t afford eight dollars a month.

A. You can change the pledge amount from month to month or quit altogether. Even if you only support me for one month at eight dollars, I’m still getting more financial support from you than if you had bought my books for an entire year. I’m lucky to get three bucks per sale, and since I only have one or two releases per year…

Q. If the book is done, why don’t you release it to everyone?

A. Aside from wanting to offer my patrons something special, the book isn’t completely finished. My work on it is. All that remains is for some of my nearest and dearest to read through for typos. The manuscript is pretty clean as is, so I don’t expect this will inhibit anyone’s enjoyment of the story. It’s important to note that the cover art won’t be finished either, but I will send the final version out to those same Patreon supporters when it’s available.

Q. This is an eBook version only, right?

A. Correct. You would need to sideload the file onto your eReader of choice, or simply read the book on your computer. The file formats provided are epub, mobi, and PDF. So if you really wanted, you could print it out.

Q. Is this really the end?

A. For the novels, yeah. We still check in with the characters on Patreon through mini stories. You can see one here. There are no plans to publish these stories. They will remain a Patreon exclusive, and are mostly just for fun, because some of us simply can’t let go. Not completely. If you feel the same way, then you might want to join us on Patreon.

Q. What about audiobooks?

A. For the time being, I’ve decided to produce Something Like Forever first. That should be out early next year. I would still like give Hail the audio treatment, but since it is more of a side adventure, I feel it can wait. I want as many people as possible to experience the final installment of the series. Then they can go back and go on an adventure with a new character.

Something Like Hail is out today. The latest installment of the Something Like… series features a new character, Noah Westwood, who is down on his luck and living on the streets. His fortunes improve when he seeks out Marcello Maltese for an opportunity, but he has a long journey ahead if he’s going to find happiness. And love. Sound good? If so, you can treat yourself to the paperback here, or get the eBook version from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

While doing so, you may notice that Something Like Hail is listed as book #8. How can that be when this is the tenth release? Well, after giving it much thought, I’ve decided to change the recommended reading order of the series. Why? Let me show you the new order, and then I’ll break it down for you.

The Something Like… series:

#1: Something Like Summer

#2: Something Like Autumn

#3: Something Like Winter

#4: Something Like Spring

#5: Something Like Lightning

#6: Something Like Thunder

#7: Something Like Stories – Volume One

#8: Something Like Hail

#9: Something Like Rain

#10: Something Like Stories – Volume Two

#11 Something Like Forever

—Autumn is now the second book. This makes it less confusing for new readers, who expect to read the seasons in their natural order, starting with Summer. It also gives readers a break from Ben and Tim’s story before they revisit those events in Winter. The epilogue in Winter also ties in nicely with Spring, since we see Ben and Tim move into their first house together, which of course is where Jason finds them.

—Rain has been pushed back in the series. This gives readers a two-book break from the Kelly/Jason/William love triangle. It also moves the end of Rain closer to the follow-up story in Something Like Stories 2, which flows nicely into the final book, Forever. When the final installment of the series is out, I think you’ll see what a nice trilogy those three books make when grouped together.

That’s about it! If you don’t like the new order, I totally get where you’re coming from. I tend to read in publishing order myself, and you are welcome to continue doing so. For newcomers to the series, I truly believe this order will provide them with a smoother and more enjoyable experience.

I recently announced that Something Like Hail would be released on September 6th. I thought I could manage that, and maybe I still could, but I would have to rush things. I don’t like rushing things. That’s when mistakes happen. My personal life is pretty hectic at the moment. We took in two strays; one a bird who has since been reunited with its owner, the other a cat who was in critical condition and who we are slowly nursing back to health. On top of that, my German in-laws have come to the United States for the first time ever. I’ve already ignored them for most of the week so I could work. I could do so until they leave, but they’re in their seventies and unlikely to make such a long trip again. Plus there’s the upcoming movie screening in Austin (tickets here) and another in Chicago (tickets here) both of which I’ll be attending. What it all really boils down to is needing to choose between my family and my career. Not that I’ll be taking a full vacation. I’ll still be adding weekly installments to Blank Slate, the ongoing story on Patreon, and the Something Like Summer comic will continue marching on. I’ll be finishing up work on Something Like Hail too, getting it ready for a September 20th release, but at a slower pace that allows me to leave the house for a few hours each day. I love my work. It keeps me going. I don’t want to step away from it, but there needs to be balance. I’m sure you see where I’m coming from. In the meantime, I hope the ongoing projects I’m working on will keep you entertained. There’s always my back catalog of books to peruse, or those of other authors you might want to try. And the comic! I’m so into that right now. It’s free! Give it a read! I’ll be back soon enough with the new book. Thank you for your patience and understanding. For now, I’m pleased to present the final cover design for Hail, although we might tweak the color when we get the print version in hand. We’re trying to make this book white, without it being eye-glaringly bright. I think it’s out of site. Am I right?

Something Like Summer was originally published back in 2010, although I started work on it a few years earlier than that. At the time, I didn’t have much experience as an author. That’s not much of a detriment. Most people prefer a good story over impressive pose, but it’s nice to have both, when possible. That’s exactly why Something Like Summer is now available in two new editions. The idea started because I really want to get Summer into schools and into the hands of young people, but the explicit content has always made that difficult. That’s why I’ve created a school-friendly edition with “fade to black” sex scenes. During this process, I quickly realized that I’ve grown as a writer. It’s easy to forget that I wasn’t always cranking out Something Like… books. Between Summer and Winter I wrote three other novels and a few short stories. I learned a lot of tricks and how to avoid certain pitfalls. To my authory eyes, Summer no longer fits in with the rest of the series. At least from a technical standpoint. So while working on what I call the School Edition, I decided to update the standard version as well. Nearly every paragraph has been changed in some way. Ideally you won’t even notice the difference. It’ll just be a smoother read for you and others. I did make some noteworthy changes, which I’ll outline below. For now, if you are a school, library, outreach shelter, gay/straight alliance, or anything else that supports young queer people, then I would be happy to work with you on getting the School Edition of Summer to where it needs to be. Or, if funding isn’t an issue, it can be bought from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. If you’re interested in the Second Edition of Something Like Summer, it’s possible you might be eligible to upgrade for free. I’ve set up this page on how you can do that, or where it can be bought.

Changes in the 2nd Edition of Something Like Summer:

–Ben’s mother, June, is now named. At the time of writing, I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to call such characters Mom and Dad and leave it at that, or give them proper names. All the subsequent books name the parents, so now this one does too.

–Stacy Shelly is named again, as she was in early drafts. Another small change. I deleted her name originally because she played no role in the story, and I never envisioned a sequel. She’s my favorite of the popular kids in Winter, so this was mostly for self-gratification

–Two small changes were made to fit Something Like Infinity into the continuity. Annoyingly, there were a couple throwaway lines in Summer about how the normal Spanish teacher was back and such. Now it fits in seamlessly.

–Other small continuity problems have been fixed. I’ve done pretty well considering how unwieldy this series is, but there were a few lines that didn’t mesh with what came later. A good example is during the epilogue, when Ben is surprised that Tim knows where his house is. As we see in Winter and other stories, Tim actually hangs with Ben and Jace at their home, so no need for surprise. Nothing I had to change in this regard came at the expense of the established plot.

–Marcello is now named and has a few speaking lines. I couldn’t help myself! Marcello was in the original book, but he went unnamed, and we don’t get a single quip from him. His part in Summer remains as it was, but now we get a little of his personality as well.

–Areas with too much exposition have been broken up somewhat with dialog. When I first wrote Summer, there were sections that bothered me, but I couldn’t figure out the issue. Now I get it. Too much telling, not enough showing. I love writing dialog (and needed to change very little of it) so this was a simple fix. It’s nothing major. Just a little more banter between characters here and there.

–Jace’s last name has been sprinkled throughout the book. Previously it was never mentioned. Not until Something Like Autumn. That’s no good!

That pretty much sums it up… Except for one big change. Did you ever feel like the end of Summer goes by too fast? Yeah, me too. I like it that way, to be honest. We go from Jace’s death straight into the epilogue and get to see Ben and Tim’s reunion while still feeling emotionally raw. I didn’t change that, don’t worry. But I did feel like a vital aspect was missing in Part Three of the book, so I wrote some new scenes for Chapter Twenty-seven. They deal with Jace’s recovery from the first aneurysm, and more importantly, let us see how Ben loves Jace in return. Ben makes plenty of mistakes in Summer, and Jace is wonderful about them, but I didn’t want the book to end with people thinking that Ben is a brat. I haven’t really gotten letters from readers who felt that way, but it was still important to me. And it just so happens to even out the pacing a little too.

That’s it! As stated above, you can find out where to get the 2nd Edition of Something Like Summer here. Be sure to visit again next week for the next installment of the series, Something Like Hail, which will be pattering your windows on September 6th!

Something Like Stories: Volume Two is now available as an audiobook! I’m immensely proud of this one, since it offers a little bit of everything. You want more Ben and Tim? Check. What’s that? You’re team Jace? He’s in there too. Wish guys like Kelly, Nathaniel, Jason, and William got more stories? No problem! And if you’re looking for freshness, new characters are introduced as well, and old favorites are given their own voice at last. Fourteen different stories will keep you entertained, each read to you in a jaw-dropping performance by Mr. Kevin R Free. You can get your copy from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. While there’s no getting around piracy these days, if you want the final two books to receive this same treatment, please support the audios financially and by word of mouth. They’ve reached a point where I can barely afford to have them produced, so it really is up to you if they keep going. Thanks in advance!

Hopefully you know by now that the Something Like Summer movie is playing at Outfest this weekend in Hollywood. If you plan on going, not only will there be a question and answer session with the audience afterwards, but we’ll also be hanging out at the Abbey bar and restaurant. I love love love getting to meet my readers, so if you have the time and inclination, I’d enjoy chilling with you. All the pretty boys from the movie will be there too, and the talented folks who worked behind the scenes. Don’t miss it! Details below!