Jay Bell's Blog, page 7

Short and sweet: You can help support gay homeless youth and get a bunch of new Something Like… stories in the process. We’re talking two dollars. You’ve got it. I’ve got it. If you honestly don’t have it, I still have some stories you can read for free. Stick around to find out more.

There’s this site called Patreon where I’ve been releasing new material on a weekly basis. I think it’s safe to call it a successful experiment at this point, because everyone involved seems to be having a good time. Especially me! I know for a lot of you, it’s outside your comfort zone. Not many of authors are using this platform, which is why we’re having a partial open house. For the rest of the month, I’m making some of the content free to give you a taste of what’s going on over there. It’s not just me writing new stuff. It’s text messages and art and this interactive story called Something Like Chance. That’s what we’re really here to talk about. My Patreon supporters helped me create a new character, a guy called Noah. As I write his story, whenever Noah reaches a point where he needs to make a crucial decision, I poll the readers so they can decide his fate. That’s been a lot of fun, even if Noah’s life isn’t exactly ideal. He’s homeless, which is a problem many LGBT people face. Writing his story and living in a city like Chicago has made this an issue I’m eager to help with, so I’m dedicating 100% of next month’s Patreon money to a charity dedicated to helping homeless youth. Right now that’s over eight hundred dollars, but I know it can be more.

Here’s my proposition: Become my Patreon supporter, if even for just one month. The two dollar minimum gets you a lot. You’ll have access to all the material published so far, including five short stories. You can see the master list here. You’ll also get any new material I upload in April. Your money will go to a worthwhile cause and you can cancel at the end of April if you choose. Which charity? The Night Ministry in Chicago, which not only provides healthcare and housing to the homeless, but also runs The Crib, a shelter that takes in LGBT youth. Proof of a donation will be posted here once payments clear at the beginning of next month. With that in mind, if you’d like to join us in this charity drive, be sure to do so by March 31st. With your help, we can make a difference in lives less fortunate than our own.

Still unsure? Want the free tour? Until the end of the month, you can check out the following for free:

Something Like Champagne: Marcello finally gets his own adventure and drags Tim along for the ride.

Something Like Texting #1: Ben and Tim try to figure out their holiday shopping.

Something Like Chance #2: Check out the first two installments of this interactive story!

Nothing Like Summer #1: Read an alternate scene from Something Like Summer that had to be changed due to legal reasons.

Something Like Stories is out on audio! If you haven’t read it yet, this is a fun collection for four different stories, giving some characters their own story for the first time while catching up with old favorites as well. Going into this one, I felt terrible for the narrator, Kevin R. Free, because there are so many characters in this book. Seriously! It’s ridiculous. I honestly didn’t expect the narrator to remember all the unique voices and perform them how he did in previous books. I was willing to be forgiving. I needn’t have worried because he did an amazing job. Everyone sounds like they’re supposed to, even characters like Jace’s mom, who we haven’t seen since Autumn. How did he remember how she sounded? It’s incredible!

Something else that made me hesitant about putting Stories on audio was the character profiles. This is a dictionary-like section that I tried to make playful and interesting, but could have made for very dry listening. Kevin turned the character profiles into one big party. You’ve got to hear it for yourself. He put so much energy into that section that I couldn’t stop laughing and smiling while listening to it. As usual, I have a free sample for you. I choose the first part of Something Like Fall, a story about Ben and Jace, which makes for a nice self-contained experience. If you’re not sure if audio books are your thing, it’s a good place to start. If you already know you’re into this, you can buy Something Like Stories from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Enjoy!

Late last year I started this thing where I would write new stories, and anyone who wanted to read them would send a little cash my way. Not so different from normal publishing except there are less middle men, editors, and all the other usual filters I run my stuff through. In other words, it’s a lot more intimate.

The results? I freaking love it! I’m really proud of some of the material that has come out because of this project. And I like that I’m able to keep the story going without you having to wait half a year or more for the next book. I add new things weekly, so I thought it might be helpful to make a list of what’s up there now. There are other perks to signing up, but below is what you get access to right away. For two bucks! If you think that sounds good, please visit Patreon at this link to learn more. Also, the entire Something Like… series is on sale. Summer is FREE and the other books are just 3.99 each! The idea is to get more people exposed to the series, so please spread the word!

On Patreon, you’ll currently find:

—The Holidays Series— A new short story every month!

November: Something Like Turkey – Ben wants to give Tim the perfect Thanksgiving, but he’s never been very good at cooking. Will he succeed?

December: Something Like Ornaments – It’s Ben and Tim’s first winter holiday together after a long separation, and it should be a happy one, but more than one Ghost of Christmas Past is looming over the festivities.

January: Something Like Champagne – A drunken memory has Marcello chasing down the past on New Year’s Eve. Tim Wyman is along for the ride, but he soon discovers that Marcello’s lifestyle isn’t for him.

February (forthcoming): Something Like Hearts – Kelly and Nathaniel move back to Austin after years of traveling and are faced with important decisions about their future.

—Nothing Like Summer— Deleted material from the early drafts of Something Like Summer!

#1: The original talent show scene used a certain song by David Bowie and Queen, the lyrics weaving into the narrative of the story

#2: Instead of that party brat Ryan, Tim dated a very different person in the earlier drafts.

#3: Something Like Winter wasn’t the first time I wrote from Tim’s perspective. This brief piece gives us a glimpse at a Tim with different motivations.

#4: Writing Jace’s death scene was difficult, and at one time, was very different than what ended up in the final version.

—Something Like Texting— Images of fun text message conversations between characters!

#1: Ben and Tim discuss what they want for Christmas, and what to get Jason.

#2: While Tim is away in Mexico, Ben writes to express how he feels about their separation.

—Random Surprises—

Baby Bentley: Ben Before Summer – Grant Davis, star of the Something Like Summer movie, put together this special video showing us a glimpse of Ben’s life as a child.

What I Did on my Summer Vacation – A school essay written by Benjamin Bentley, and the original sales pitch for the novel.

—Character Art— As support grows, so will this collection of art by Andreas!

#1 Marcello Maltese surrounded by his shirtless waiters

You’ll also find updates about the projects I’m working on and other treats. I add at least one new thing weekly! You can bail at any time, so there’s no risk to you. Sound good? Get your butt over to Patreon and check it all out! Thank you for your support!

Happy Holidays from my camera-shy husband and I! And don’t worry, I’ll make sure Andreas gets lots of time off. Just not from me.

The eBook version of Something Like Summer is now free at all retailers! If that’s why you’re here and you’re new to the series, there’s a handy-dandy guide to the reading order over at www.somethinglikeseries.com. Feel free to check it out. The great news is that the rest of the novels in series are on sale too! They aren’t free (a boy’s gotta eat, and my husband is a big man) but they have all been reduced in price. Including my newest! You can now get each book for just 3.99. Some of these suckers, like Spring and Thunder, are around 160,000 words, so this is a real bargain. Why am I doing this? Because nothing is more important to me (aside from eating) than these stories getting out there. I want Ben, Tim, and Jace to tell their tale to as many people as possible, so even if you already own the entire series, please help spread the word. That would mean the world to me! A lot of people get eBook readers as presents as this time of year, maybe even you, and a free book would be a great way to try that device out for the first time. And speaking of holidays, I wish you the very best one possible. Let’s all strive to fill the end of the year with as much love as possible!

You can get Something Like Summer and the other books from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play.

The world of gay fiction has been steadily growing, not only in terms of authors and books, but readers as well. Unfortunately, it’s not near as big as other genres out there. Not even close. That means it’s a little hard to earn a living doing what I love most. Would it surprise you to learn that, even if you buy every book as I release them, that I only see about four or five dollars of that money annually? That’s the way the system is currently set up, but sites like Patreon are offering an intriguing alternative. One that I would like to explore together. The general idea is that if there’s an artist you like so much that you want to support them, you can by giving a small amount each month. You can see where this is going, but I’m not asking for a handout. I want to create even more content for you guys, or share sneak peaks and glimpses into the writing process. Or how about insider movie knowledge, digital character art, and exclusive flash fiction featuring characters from the Something Like… series? Or maybe you want early access to my books, or the power to decide who the next novel will be about. I have all sorts of stuff to offer, so if you’re interested, please visit my brand new Patreon page. Or watch the two informative videos below. Actually, only one of them is informative. The other is just me being awkward in front of the camera. Is this the beginning of the Something Like… fan club? It just might be!

The world of gay fiction has been steadily growing, not only in terms of authors and books, but readers as well. Unfortunately, it’s not near as big as other genres out there. Not even close. That means it’s a little hard to earn a living doing what I love most. Would it surprise you to learn that, even if you buy every book as I release them, that I only see about four or five dollars of that money annually? That’s the way the system is currently set up, but sites like Patreon are offering an intriguing alternative. One that I would like to explore together. The general idea is that if there’s an artist you like so much that you want to support them, you can by giving a small amount each month. You can see where this is going, but I’m not asking for a handout. I want to create even more content for you guys, or share sneak peaks and glimpses into the writing process. Or how about insider movie knowledge, digital character art, and exclusive flash fiction featuring characters from the Something Like… series? Or maybe you want early access to my books, or the power to decide who the next novel will be about. I have all sorts of stuff to offer, so if you’re interested, please visit my brand new Patreon page. Or watch the two informative videos below. Actually, only one of them is informative. The other is just me being awkward in front of the camera. Is this the beginning of the Something Like… fan club? It just might be!

When I agreed to write a short story to help fundraise the Something Like Summer movie, I honestly didn’t have a solid concept in mind. I didn’t even consider myself very good at writing short stories. So I approached Something Like Fall by indulging in what I wanted most—to spend time with Benjamin Bentley again. I had a blast working on the project, especially since it allowed me to revisit at least one character I never expected to see again. Jace. This opened the floodgates. Who else did I miss? Victor? Of course! I felt there were still a few unanswered questions about him. Eric? While he wasn’t a mystery, I did like the idea of fleshing out his origins, and perhaps best of all, seeing Tim through his eyes. And I’ve long since wanted to give Allison her moment in the spotlight. She has so patiently helped Ben, Tim, Jace, and even Kelly through hard times. She not only needed a story, but some time off. At this point, I was so giddy about diving back into the past of the series, that I decided to really go nuts and create a character guide, one that is hopefully unlike any you’ve seen before. You might expect all of the above to result in one messy and confusing book, but I feel it comes together nicely. I pity any first-time readers who start with this volume, but for the rest of you… If you love these characters even half as much as I do, I think you’re in for a lot of fun. I sure hope so, because I’d like to do it again someday. Thanks as always for showing your support for this series and for allowing me to do this full time. You guys are making a dream come true, and I’m not ashamed to say I love you for it!

You can buy Something Like Stories from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play. It’s also available in paperback.

Bad moods are sexy. Admit it.

Something Like Thunder is out on audio. Already. Nathaniel isn’t the kind of guy to be kept waiting. Stand in his way and he’ll barrel right through you. He’s broody, grumpy, and constantly scowling. For some reason, I find that incredibly sexy. Maybe because these traits are predominantly masculine. As I hope you’ve already discovered in Lightning, Kevin R. Free—the narrator of these books—does an incredible job with Nathaniel’s voice. I’d say it’s exactly how I imagined him sounding, but to be honest, I think it’s even better. He captured the spirit of Nathaniel perfectly, and I found it a real pleasure to listen to. Don’t take my word for it! You can listen to the prologue and first chapter below, for free. And in case you missed the news, Something Like Stories is up for preorder. Please see the previous post for all the links! Oh, and if you’re already hooked on these audiobooks, you can buy Something Like Thunder from Audible , Amazon , and iTunes . Thanks in advance!

Yesterday the news dropped about Something Like Stories, a compilation of short tales that bring back many of the characters from the Something Like… series. Ben, Tim, Jace, Victor, Eric, Allison… They’re all there! You can still win a pre-release paperback over at Boy Meets Boy Reviews, so be sure to head over there now and enter. If contests aren’t your thing, preorders are also live. You can reserve your copy of Something Like Stories from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, Barnes & Noble (forthcoming), and Google Play. It’s also available as a good old fashioned paperback.

Now then, let’s follow tradition and take a closer look at that cover. Doing so requires us to travel back in time to a previous book, and one of my favorite pieces of art that Andreas has whipped up. Something Like Autumn!

I absolutely loved Andreas’s take on Victor, enough that I totally overlooked that Jace should have featured prominently on this cover instead. We have a bit of reality bending here because Victor is in his clearing and yet somehow he has a clear view of the lake. I’m always happy to grant Andreas artistic license though. If I made him stick to the book, it would suffocate him creatively. I think we’re all pretty chill about such things, right? The cover doesn’t have to match the interior content exactly. So yeah, I love this one, especially little touches like the tin can with a spoon in it. That is in the story, since Jace brings Victor food on more than one occasion.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that the can had made a return on the newest cover. I totally laughed out loud. Then I thought about it, and got really freaking sad. The scene on this new cover doesn’t represent those careless days from long ago when two boys discovered each other in the woods. A lot of time has passed since then. The shelter Victor had Jace had once cuddled beneath is in ruins and a solitary figure crouches in the middle of the clearing, one hand touching the ground. Who and why? If you already know, please don’t spoil it for others. Needless to say, my first reaction to this cover was a happy chuckle. Then a deep sorrow overtook me. Well done, Andreas. Looks like we both have a talent for dishing out tears.

Something Like Stories: Volume One gets released on November 11th. I’ll be back to talk about it more then. I can scarcely wait, because this book was a pleasure for me to write. I hope you guys like it too!