Happy Saturday! I’m a little tired, having had a houseful of teenagers all of yesterday and overnight. Got everyone up, fed, and ready to leave by 8:20 to get half of them to rehearsal and the other half back home. Whew!
This week, I finished one WIP (it’s now with betas) and started another. I currently have two going, until I reach a stage with one of them where I need to just work on that. I’m also into my October reading list. Both this month and next are full, but I have room in December if anyone has some awesome lesbian fiction they want me to review.
My next novel, Keeping the Faith, releases Nov. 1. I have a blog tour going, but if you’re not part of that list and want to host me for that day, you can fill out the form.
Meanwhile, I’m still sharing snippets from various stories in Leaps of Faith. Last week, Cat was reciting his prayers using a rosary. I thought I’d post the, er, outcome of that here. A little background: I was part of a very restrictive and traumatizing religious community where queer sex was not only taboo but of the devil. One way I healed from that was to write specifically about the intertwining of sex and worship.
Micah rewarded him with three gasping grunts and a long, low groan. He gulped air audibly, and Cat hugged the edge himself, so close. He squeezed his eyes shut and placed his palm against the door. His whole body shuddered in anticipation; it wouldn’t take much. He couldn’t hold off, dropping his beads and sliding his hand down to where it would do more good. He’d overestimated how long he needed, shivering through release almost as soon as his fingers made contact.
When he recovered, he managed to murmur, “Thanks be to God.”
Rainbow Snippets 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!
Intriguing set up here. It makes me want to know more about what’s going on and what led up to this scene.
Thank you! There is definitely a whole lot that led to this moment.
Amazing description. The tension was almost palpable.
Thank you! This was originally supposed to go in an anthology on the theme of sexual tension. The objective was to write a story in which no actual touching took place. So I had them separated by a door. (Sadly, the anthology never ended up happening, but I got a great story out of the deal, LOL.)
I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this before. I usually avoid fiction with religious themes but after this snippet I’ll have to broaden my horizons a bit. 🙂
That’s the most common thing people say about this particular series. They are not particularly what I’d call religious fiction, and I’m sure a lot of people would find it blasphemous that I tied prayer and sex so closely. But then, those people aren’t exactly my target audience. 🙂 The funny thing is, I’m at my most authentic when I do border on being a bit of a heretic.
I do love this. So much happening without giving sordid details. My imagination runs amok… which can be dangerous, but it’s a good thing here.
Thank you! My goal is to shift away from feeling like everything has to be graphic. It’s often expected, and I just don’t enjoy reading or writing it. My favorite is vague on detail but specific on emotions.
Mmm. I love the taboo nature of this and the tension.
Thanks! 🙂 I enjoy playing around with the taboo.
Magnificent – I love how this was done. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Beautiful scene! I agree…less graphic detail and more emotion is better. You nailed it. 🙂
Thanks! One of those scenes where everything felt like it fell right into place.
This was such a sexy and moving scene. Love Cat & Micah 🙂
Thank you! 😀
I loved how tense this scene was. But for some reason it made me feel sad. I think I need the rest of the story.
That’s spot on. The story *is* a bit sad. These two have a rather intense relationship–Cat is physically disabled, and Micah is mentally ill. And while Cat has made peace with his body, Micah is still very much at odds with his mind.
That’s quite a spiritual experience.
That’s one heck of a prayer experience! 🙂