Q. Kelly's Blog, page 16

"The Odd Couple" Is Back on Smashwords

Hey, everyone! A quick update to let y'all know that "The Odd Couple" is out of KDP Select, so I've put it back on Smashwords. (You can, of course, continue to buy it for your Kindle through Amazon.) I've also republished it on Barnes and Noble, but that'll take a few days to show up. (I'll add the link here.)

You can buy "The Odd Couple" right now on Smashwords. This blog/site has been getting a lot of keyword searches for "The Odd Couple" in .pdf, so here's your chance to go get your .pdf at Smashwords. :-)

** Smashwords has any ebook format available plus .pdf, .doc and other file formats.

Happy reading!

I'm Still Indie!

Joy Argento and I are both indies who publish under an imprint she created (Ride the Rainbow Books). Joy's turning Ride the Rainbow Books into a full-fledged publishing company. I have since gotten more than a few inquries about if this means I'm still indie.

In a nutshell: Yes, I am. Nothing changes for me except I have another venue through which to sell my print books and ebooks, and more exposure from my association with Ride the Rainbow Books. In turn, Ride the Rainbow Books benefits from its association with me. I put out good quality work; two of my books have won awards, and I'm sure more are to come.

The next few years are going to bring some interesting indie/publisher hybrids, and Ride the Rainbow Books is one. I'm not sure if Joy is going to follow the submissions process for her own works, but I'd imagine not since, well, it's her company. But who knows? ;-) She HAS told me that her two already published books will be re-edited and that all her future works will be professionally edited.

I have no interest in repeating the submissions wait process (oh, the horror stories I could tell!) and certain other things publishers must do. I told Joy exactly that when she explained the changes about a month and a half before she made the general announcement. There never was any question of me having to "un"indie.

The website continues to be a work in progress, but at some point, I will probably be listed differently from Ride the Rainbow Books authors who went through the dog and cat show (they submitted, waited for acceptance, etc. etc.). I may be listed as an "associate author." I don't know. Lots of good changes coming.

Also, for anyone who didn't know, Georgia Beers is an editor with Ride the Rainbow Books, but she will continue to publish with Bywater Books.

Joy says that her goal is to make the submission process as fast and painless as possible. Instead of sending out a general rejection notice for any books not up to par, authors will be given tips and guidance to make their manuscripts better so they could submit again if they wished to. She says she doesn't feel like her new company is competing with other lesbian publishers. It is just offering another avenue for authors as well as readers. She also said there will be a close partnership among the authors, herself and the two editors, Georgia and Nina.

"Inside These Walls" Blurb

OK! Here's the (rough-draft) blurb for my next novel.

"Inside These Walls"

Monica Lee Thomas is a bubbly, carefree twenty-three-year-old college senior. She needs at least $1,500 quick or she can't participate in her college's Italian studies class trip after her graduation. Monica puts out ads saying no job is too small, or too big, or too odd, for $3,500, as long as $1,500 is paid up front. The job just needs to be legal.

Natalie Payton is the only person who responds. She explains she's thirty-nine years old, agoraphobic, wealthy and wants a companion. A friend. Someone to talk to, no more, no less. Natalie summons Monica to Highfield House, where Natalie lives her life. The only condition Natalie has is that Monica must tell no one who she is working for. Natalie does not want anyone feeling sorry for her.

The job turns out to be much more enjoyable than Monica expected. So much so, Monica is falling in love with Natalie. However, Monica can't shake the feeling that Natalie is hiding something important. Monica digs deeper into Natalie's background. What she discovers causes her to question if she really knows Natalie. Will Monica and Natalie be able to put aside their fears and secrets to be together?

I'm very, very excited about this novel!

I Like Surprises!

I like surprises! I check my Smashwords sales about once a week. I get an email notification every time someone purchases one of my works directly from Smashwords, but there are no notifications for expanded distribution (which is the Apple store, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, etc.). The retailers report these sales at intervals. I usually only have a handful of expanded distribution sales there each week.

Today--nice surprise! A boatload of Apple sales, as of Feb. 4 (Apple and the other retailers report at specific intervals). "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" is very popular. "Waiting" is popular also.

This really was a nice surprise.

The reason I was at Smashwords actually wasn't to check on expanded distribution sales but to halt distribution of "Miss Lucy Parker and Other Short Stories" to the retailers. I've decided to enroll "MLP" in KDP Select. The exclusivity clause still gives me cause for concern, but in this case, I think the pros outweigh the cons. And if they don't, well, I just won't re-enroll "MLP" after the 90 days are up. (I'm still not re-enrolling "The Odd Couple" when it leaves KDP Select on March 6.)

"MLP" had two sales in the expanded distribution, not enough for me to change my mind about KDP Select. I'm excited to see how "MLP" does. It's my only gen fic work and at one point almost made it into the Kindle Top 100 Free. It's still a strong seller now that it's 99 cents.

"The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" continues to sell excellently at Barnes and Noble and, apparently, at Apple, too. I have no current plans to move "The Old Woman" or any of my other works into KDP Select.

I'll update my freebies page when "Miss Lucy Parker" is free for y'all Amazon Prime members. :)

A Story of Love Beyond Death

 UPDATE:
OK, due to reader feedback in multiple venues, I've decided to proceed with my ghost love story BUT not as a sequel to "All in the Family." I don't want to alienate anyone, and I don't want to hurt sales of either book.

No sequel for "All in the Family." :-) The blurb remains the same, but the characters are different. The title will change too, obviously.
 *****

I believe my next novel will be a sequel to "All in the Family."  BUT you don't have to have read "All in the Family" first. This sequel will be capable of standing on its own. The sequel is tentatively titled "Still in the Family." Here's the rough-draft blurb. (This is really one of three blurbs; I wrote three blurbs, one in which each woman dominates. My wife thought Helen's blurb was best because Helen provides the connective tissue, so to speak. But my personal preference is Allison's blurb, and a few other people liked it best, too. I'll post the other two blurbs at the end of this blog post. Yes, my wife is wrong sometimes! :-] )

"Still in the Family" rough-draft blurb:
Allison Albrecht died a year ago in a bank robbery gone awry, but her spirit remains earthbound with the people she loves. She's tried and tried to communicate with her wife, Sam, but Sam's deafness and perhaps her grief prevent this. Sam could never hear Allison, period. And seemingly no one else can, not even Allison's son.

One day, Allison tries talking to her former lover, Helen. Much to Allison's shock, Helen hears her. Thus begins an incredible love story among Sam, Allison and Helen. Allison can enter Helen's body to interact with Sam. Likewise, Allison can enter Sam's body to interact with Helen, but will the three of them one day be able to meet in the flesh?

 *****


OK, so...wow! This probably wasn't what ANYONE was expecting from an "All in the Family" sequel. You know me, I don't (usually) do the expected. Heh. Tell you something, from the very first draft of "All in the Family" years ago, I've felt Helen deserved more, much more. The second part of "All in the Family" presents a compelling love triangle among Allison, Sam and Helen. Helen is eventually the odd gal out. However, while "AITF" was being written, I truly did fall in love with Helen like I do with all my leads. I didn't want her to end up brokenhearted. Happened, though.
Most recently, I was writing "Third" at the same time I was getting "All in the Family" ready for publication. "Third" is a poly story, and more than ever, I wanted something more, more, more for Helen Vierow in "AITF." I didn't feel her time had come just yet, though. I did at some point see her with Allison and Sam, but not exactly yet.
Today a confluence of events happened that made me see the light. First, I've been working on another short-story collection (five shorts either completed or begun at this point), and one of the ideas is, verbatim: 
Woman whose lover dies. Lover had promised to send a sign that she was "OK" in the afterlife-- to make the clocks in the house stop running. When no sign arrives, woman gets worried. (Or signs arrive, in overdrive?) 
Anyway, I was having a conversation with someone who said she noticed "Third" was being discussed on an Amazon forum for women who wanted something more. One reader had said she also read "All in the Family" and was disappointed in the end because she'd hoped a three-way relationship was coming. I admitted to the person I had the conversation with that I'd waffled on that quite a bit.
So, here we have "Still in the Family." One thing that makes me not want to do sequels--the characters have met and fallen in love. I don't want to write about them doing everyday stuff and having kids and going to the grocery store. With "Still in the Family," Allison and Sam and Helen get to fall in love all over again.
I could've done this story without "All in the Family" -- and I plan on "Still in the Family" being able to stand firmly on its own -- but one thing I liked is the deaf aspect vis a vis ghosties. With Sam being deaf, that's a natural way to bring Helen into the picture. And I had a tailor-made situation from "All in the Family."
****
The other two blurbs:
Blurb 1: Samantha Cannizarro has imposed a chokehold on her heart since her wife, Allison, died a year ago. Sam is deaf, and she doesn't realize Allison has survived beyond the grave. Allison can talk to Sam, but Sam has no idea. Sam is like a robot, and she is thankful for Allen, Allison's son. Because of him, Sam at least has to go through the motions of living. If not for Allen, Sam is sure she would be in a bad place.
Then one night, Sam's world is upended again, but in a good way. She has a visitor, Allison's former lover, Helen. What Helen has to say and to show Sam changes both their lives forever and leads to an incredible love story among Sam, Allison and Helen.

Blurb 2: Helen Vierow has an okay life. So what if she's basically phoning it in and going through the motions? She has a great apartment and no shortage of women if she so chooses. She has been re-evaluating life lately; her former lover, Allison, died a year ago in a bank robbery gone awry. Helen has to live with that death every day because Sam, Allison's wife, works with Helen at a law firm 
One night, Helen gets the shock of her life. She hears Allison talk to her, and Allison has a favor to ask. Allison's been trying to talk to Sam too, but Sam's deaf. Thus begins an incredible love story among Sam, Allison and Helen. Allison can enter Helen's body to interact with Sam. Likewise, Allison can enter Sam's body to interact with Helen, but will the three of them one day be able to meet in the flesh?

******************************************************************
A reader tried to leave a comment but had trouble with the CAPCHA characters. I hate them too! Arggh. Basically, she said: "I'm sad just reading that you are killing off Allison.  As much as I enjoyed reading the first book, knowing that one of the two main characters (of a story I have read) has been killed off, I don't think I will be able to buy the sequel.  Too bad you can't make it a story about characters we do not know about. "
My reply: Yeah, that's always a risk. And who knows, I may change it so it's not an "AITF" sequel.  But it's probably going to stay the way it is (an "AITF" sequel). One thing I'm trying to do is play with the soulmates concept, and in order to show that people are soulmates, you pretty much have to kill one or both off, to show that love survives death.

"Cupid Pulls a Prank" Excerpt -- Betas Needed!

OK! Here is a call going out to request beta readers for my short-story collection. Two stories are finished and ready to be beta'ed (only 1,000 words each). If you've read "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories," this collection is along the same lines. Generally light, quirky, humorous, poking fun at some lesbian stereotypes. Contact me if you're interested. Many thanks! :) Below is an excerpt (unedited) that sorta gives you what to expect. This excerpt is NOT from a completed story.

This is an excerpt! (c) Q. Kelly 2012
Cupid Pulls a Prank


Cupid woke up on the naughty side of the bed. It had been a while since he had pulled a really big one, and he was itching for a prank to end all pranks. But whom to prank? Cupid went online and scanned the headlines on Yahoo.THREE-HEADED CAMEL BORNCONJOINED TWINS SEPARATEDOHIO GOV. INDICTED ON RACKEETEERING CHARGESFIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONIGHT"That's it!" Cupid exclaimed. He could hardly wait. His trick would be huge. This was the first American presidential race featuring female candidates from the major parties. The Republican, Alice Cowell, was the current vice president. She was fifty years old but had the body of a thirty-year-old. She ate right and worked out religiously. She was married to a flashy lawyer dude and was the mother of two sons. Her opponent was fifty-five-year-old Gillian Marshall, a two-term United States senator from Virginia. Gillian was married to an accountant, and they had one child, a girl.Cupid decided to strike Alice first. During her opening statement, perhaps. Cupid hated Republicans. Democrats too. Politicans! They were uptight, hypocritical jerks, the lot of them, and Alice Cowell was their queen. How would she, and the public, react to her falling in love with her opponent? In front of a live, national TV audience, no less. Cupid had not altogether abandoned his senses, of course. He would let it last an hour, maybe two. Then he'd de-witch Alice and Gillian.
*****

Lesbians and Toasters

I want to share two (very unedited) excerpts from an oldie short story I held from lesfic collection #1 ("The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories"). Not sure why I held it--it's hilarious. Maybe I didn't feel like editing it, dunno. But it's definitely getting into collection #2. The title of this story is "Toasted."

****

Amanda had fifty toasters. All colors, shapes and sizes. The one she showed off that day looked like a zebra. It was soft and furry, too. "Wow," I said. "That's not real zebra fur, is it?"

"Of course not."

"How'd you get it?"

"The old-fashioned way."

"I don't understand."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Didn't you ever read the lesbian handbook? For every straight girl I convert, I send in a proof ticket. Bingo, a toaster in the mail three weeks later."


AND


A few days later, I happened to receive a package in error. It was addressed to Mattie Nelson, my next-door neighbor. I took it over.

"Oh! That must be the new toaster. Thanks so much." Mattie cut the box open and drew out a blue race car toaster. It wasn't as cool as the zebra, but still.

"Where'd you get that?"

Mattie winked. "This one's for converting the pastor's wife. No boring toasters for me."

"You had sex with Nicole Cooper?"

"A tiger in bed, too. Rowr! Hey, did you hear about the contest Acme's running?"

"Uh, no."

Mattie dug through her kitchen drawers. " Here." She handed me a piece of paper. "If you convert ten women in two days, you can have your own toaster customized."

"Customized?" I studied the paper. On it was a picture of the toaster last year's winner had commissioned. A purple full-size unicorn. I drooled inwardly. I wanted that toaster.

"All in the Family" Review by a Deaf Lesbian

I wanted to direct y'all to a review of "All in the Family" that means a lot to me. Chiefly, it means a lot to me because it's written by a Deaf lesbian (I think the first D/deaf person to review "AITF"). As a Deaf person myself, being D/deaf is really a very singular experience, and I'm glad this reader "got" what I did. Sam in "AITF" is probably the character most like me in real life out of all my books. I wrote "AITF" for everyone, of course, but also to chronicle one aspect of being d/Deaf.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A31PVPAHE4C3GI/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview

*****

Review:

Since I am Deaf Lesbian, I was informed about this book by Q Kelly in one of my Facebook group so I ordered it for my Kindle. I commend the author by giving out the details of Sam's frustrations with her hearing father especially her "wicked" step-mother because they kept forgetting about her deafness. For example, her father just babble without using the sign language and her step mother looked at her as disabled. Luckily, her step sister Alison was so eager to learn the sign language so she could communicate with Sam so they ended up falling in love with each other despite of their being step-sisters. The angst in the story was about Sam's step-mother who made Allison to end her relationship with Sam. I certainly hope Q Kelly can write another story on Deaf Lesbian couples.

Sad News

Sad news: Dutch prince may not come out of coma: http://news.yahoo.com/dutch-prince-may-not-come-coma-doctor-121643127.html

The impression I get from this article is that PVS is a real possibility. Check out my lesfic book "Waiting" for more on comas and PVS. I have a list of people in the back of the book who were/are in PVS or minimally conscious states. This affects EVERYONE: rich, poor, royalty, commoner.

"Switch" Blurb Updated

Just updated the "Switch" rough-draft blurb to reflect some storyline changes: http://www.qkellybooks.com/p/my-books.html OR read below.
I'm sure the blurb will change a few more times before the book is published.
Feedback on all aspects is welcome! *****  "Switch" -- release date TBA, probable in April 2012

(Rough-draft blurb) Ellora Elaine Landry and June Clementine Blue Sky are forty years old and have led vastly different lives. June, raised by hippie parents, is an out lesbian who has not had the best experiences in the love department. Ellora, from a conservative family, is coming to terms with her lesbian identity and has just left her husband.

June and Ellora come together after they find out a nurse switched them when they were newborns (along with four other pairs of babies over fifteen years). Ellora and June experience an undeniable attraction. They fight it for several reasons, a big one being that Ellora is married. Plus, both Ellora and June are reluctant to risk their hearts, especially since that means revealing secrets and telling the entire story behind half truths.

Will they realize that perhaps they were fated to be together since their births?