#RainbowSnippets

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Sixty-Five 9/22: Smoke Rings

/ jlgfellers / 10 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you. This time next month, I’ll begin sharing tidbits from Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree, a novella-length story that will be available in both ebook and print formats in early November. This story will concentrate on Cent’s relationship with her mentally-ill mother but, of course, Betty will be in there too.

This Week’s Snippet Setup: Cent fell asleep while watching a movie with her friend and wakes to find Betty in a mood.

     Cent woke late in the afternoon to find Betty sitting in her dining nook, leaning forward in her chair as she blew smoke rings out the open window. Cent’s cell phone sat on the sill.

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Sixty-Four 9/15: Critters and Confetti

/ jlgfellers / 14 Comments

 

Welcome to Saturday and #Rainbowsnippets!* I’m at a local pride event today, hawking my books, hoping for the best. The weather is supposed to be good (I’m writing this on Wednesday) and, Florence willing, the rain will hold off here in East Tennessee until Sunday or Monday.

My thoughts and energy are with those in Florence’s watery path. After things clear, I’ll be looking for an appropriate charity to send support through.

Here’s this week’s #Rainbowsnippet. I’m sharing from Cleaning House again, finishing out the chapter I’ve been sharing for a while. Things are about to start changing for Cent, and I’m going to share from the next chapter for a few weeks before I begin sharing tidbits from Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree, a novella-length story that will be available in ebook format in early November. This story will concentrate on Cent’s relationship with her mentally-ill mother but, of course, Betty will be in there too.

The setup: Cent’s just told Betty something about creepy crawlies, paper bags, and glue. Ewww.

     “You serious?” Betty dropped the bag back onto the floor.

     “Yeah, and keep yours here. I got enough critters of my own.”

     Betty laughed at this. “I love how your accent comes out when you drink.” She kissed Cent on her forehead, dropped the confetti bag into her lap, and wrapped her arm around her shoulders again, pulling her even closer. “Remote’s on your side.”

     “Okay.” Cent passed Betty the remote and settled back, more than ready for the comfort of being her total self with someone who was doing the same.

***

Centenary Rhodes is an old soul with a well-traveled name, but she doesn’t know this yet.

Growing up in southern Appalachia wasn’t easy, so Cent left home as soon as she could, but the post-collegiate happiness she’d expected has never occurred. She can’t find a decent date, much less find that special someone and, after losing her job in a corporate downsize, she’s struggling to meet her most basic needs. Her car has been repossessed, her bills are piling up, and her questionable North Chicago neighborhood is dangerous to navigate.

Returning home to Hare Creek, Tennessee, never crosses Cent’s mind until her Great Aunt Tess contacts her with an offer she can’t refuse. The family’s southern Appalachian homestead must be sold, and Aunt Tess needs someone to clean it up. Cent will have access to Aunt Tess’ garden and truck and can live on the homestead rent-free for as long as it takes. A part-time job is waiting for her as well.

It’s a chance to solve some of Cent’s financial woes, but will her return be enough when evil sets its sights on Embreeville Mountain and the homestead?

Cleaning House is a carefully woven Appalachian tapestry of granny magic, haints, elementals, and the fantastic diversity of the human condition – served with a delicious side of fries and a generous quart of peach moonshine.

Ready to read more from Cleaning House? You can do so HERE and/or order the ebook version HERE or at other online book retailers. There’s a link to the print version on the same page if you’d druther.

*RainbowSnippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

Rainbow Shoes photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Sixty-Three 9/8: Popcorn and a Movie

/ jlgfellers / 18 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

My ARC reviews are pretty much over, and they’re mainly favorable, but I had one reviewer contact me, via the ARC facilitator, so he could “educate” me on the proper use of they/them, saying that the novel would have been great if hadn’t been for that problem.

Pffft. My novel. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. But don’t try to educate this author, or any other for that matter, concerning proper usages. I have advanced degrees in English, Language Arts teaching licensure in several states, have educated students between the ages of six and seventy, and the book was well edited by a professional editor. That said, I’m not an amateur, so… Just. Don’t. (shoos away the idea and carries on)

I’ll be releasing an ebook holiday novella set in the same world as Cleaning House in November, so look for it. Mama, Me, & the Holiday Tree will be a quick read centered around my protagonist, Cent’s, relationship with her mentally ill mother. It’s geared for those who haven’t read the first novel in the series, a side-door in, if you will.

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Sixty-Two 9/1: Familiar Comforts

/ jlgfellers / 15 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

My ARC reviews are still rolling in and they’re generally good, but a few readers are tripping over my usage of they/them pronouns for my elemental spirits. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Death don’t have gender, so my placing binary terms on them seems ridiculous. Most of those same readers, however, do say they enjoyed the book once they got past the pronouns, but there are still a few… sigh.

I’m not going to please everyone, but that’s never really been my aim. That said, I think there’s something deeper going on with a few of those reviews, but the issue has nothing at all to do with me.

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Sixty 8/25: Dollar Store Wine Glasses

/ jlgfellers / 17 Comments

 

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

My ARC reviews are finally catching up with me, and they’re good. Phrases such as, “I couldn’t put it down.” and “a real page turner” are music to an author’s ears.

I’m liking the current quiet in my life, but it’s a little fleeting. I’ll be appearing at a local Pride event in a few weeks. I also recorded for the BiCast podcast last weekend. That was a great experience and you can hear the podcast if you’ll click the image below. You’re warned, however. I do have a strong Appalachian accent that no level of higher education, including advanced degrees and multiple teacher licenses, has been been able to remove.


I’ll also be 1) releasing an Appalachian Elementals holiday novelette or novella later this year and 2) releasing a Surrogate series novella early next year. I’ll have firm release dates soon, but we’re shooting for a November 1 release on the holiday novelette/novella. I’ll also be releasing another novel in the Surrogate series and the sequel to Cleaning House, Keeping House, next summer.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

The Setup: Cent’s joined Betty for a day of decompressing. They both have difficult lives but for very different reasons, and it’s made them fast friends. Yes, this #rainbowsnippet  is over-length, but I think I need to show Betty from Cent’s POV because Betty is so much more than her exterior.

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Fifty-Nine 8/18: Jammies

/ jlgfellers / 11 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

My blog tour is over, and things are settling back into normality. I’m liking the quiet, but  I’m recording for the BiCast podcast today and I’ll be appearing at a local Pride event next month. Local queer author… I need a t-shirt saying that. Wait, I’ve seen them before. (trods off in search of said t-shirt)

The Setup: Cent’s upset because she’s just lost one of her two part-time jobs, so it’s her friend Betty to the rescue. (Note: The section in yellow comes from last week’s snippet.)

     Betty grabbed Cent’s hand to bring it to her chest. “You’re going to be okay, baby doll.”  

     “Not if I can’t pay my rent.” Cent knocked her head against Betty’s shoulder. “Dammit!”

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Fifty-Nine 8/11: New Worries

/ jlgfellers / 10 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

I’m in the midst of a two-week blog tour and will be dropping in at other sites during the next six weeks. Oh, and I’ll also be appearing on the BiCast later this month.  More details on that soon, but I’m looking forward to it! Make certain you listen in because the BiCast is awesome on its own, but you’ll also get my quirky Appalachian dialect, the one that even well-educated Appalachian natives are capable of, like it or not.

The Setup: Cent’s and Betty are at the bodega now, and Cent’s seen something wedged into the gate above the lock. (Note: The section in yellow comes from last week’s snippet.)

     She swatted Betty’s hand away and held the paper up to see it in the streetlight. “Damn.” Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Fifty-Eight 8/4: Now Opening at 8 AM

/ jlgfellers / 14 Comments

Cleaning House is now available in print and ebook formats at numerous retailers.

😄😄 Yay! 😄 😄 

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

I’m in the midst of a two-week blog tour and will be dropping in at other sites during the next month. Oh, and I’ll also be appearing on the BiCast late this month.  More details on that next week, but I’m looking forward to it! Make certain you listen in because the BiCast is awesome on its own, but you’ll also get my quirky Appalachian dialect, the one that even well-educated Appalachian natives are capable of, like it or not.

The Setup: Cent’s on her way to work at a local bodega when she runs into her friend Betty sitting on their apartment building’s stoop. Betty’s now walking Cent to work both for companionship and for safety. Their neighborhood isn’t exactly the best. (Note: The section in yellow comes from last week’s snippet.)

     Betty’s nicotine breath fanned across Cent’s neck. “You off this afternoon?”

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Fifty-Seven 7/28: Easy Money

/ jlgfellers / 18 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

It’s four days until the release, and I’m stoked! I have a two-week blog tour scheduled, several other sites I’ll be featured on, a podcast I’m visiting… the list keeps growing.

On to the snippet.

This one contains mildly questionable language, so you’re warned.

The Setup: Cent’s on her way to work at a local bodega when she runs into her friend Betty sitting on their apartment building’s stoop. Betty’s now walking Cent to work both for companionship and for safety. Their neighborhood isn’t exactly the best. (Note: The section in yellow comes from last week’s snippet.)

     Betty’s only customer, a sailor new out of Great Lakes Recruit Training, had been more interested in looking at her package than any delivery of goods.

Continue reading →

#CleaningHouseNovel #RainbowSnippets Fifty-Six 7/21: First Lucky Customah

/ jlgfellers / 19 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read, so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.

I’m sharing again from Cleaning House. The novel is an Appalachian-set Contemporary/ Paranormal Fantasy where the past and the present are blended with a healthy dose of granny magic. The mountains are alive, and a little moonshine can cure what ails you.

It’s a little more than one week until the release, and I’m stoked! I have a two-week blog tour scheduled, several other sites I’ll be featured on, a podcast I’m visiting… the list keeps growing.

The Setup: Cent’s on her way to work at a local bodega when she runs into her friend Betty sitting on their apartment building’s stoop. (Note: The section in yellow comes from last week’s snippet)

     “No charge for a cute cuttah like you, and I need some smokes anyways.” Continue reading →