Rainbow Snippets: Meet Jude

Happy Saturday! It’s been a busy week, and the upcoming one doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any.

My latest novel, Keeping the Faith, released Nov. 1 (link in sidebar). Keeping the Faith is a novel about grief and my deeply personal tribute to those I’ve lost. Here’s the blurb:

It’s been three years since Micah’s spouse, Cat, passed away at the age of thirty-six. In the process of cleaning his house, Micah discovers a series of letters Cat hid before he died, in which he made one request: that Micah empty his life of Cat as a way of moving on. Micah has been able to work through his sorrow, but he’s unable to fulfill Cat’s last wish. He can’t see a way past his loneliness despite all the caring people around him.

Enter two new friendships. Jude, Micah’s vivacious new coworker, brings joy back into his life. But she has a big secret about her family, and the truth will rock Micah’s understanding of who she is. Chris, the new minister at Cat’s former church, intrigues Micah. Unlike Jude, Chris is an open book, from his musings on theology to his work as a trans advocate and activist. His gentle manner and deep faith become safe space for Micah to open up about his loss.

Through them, Micah becomes involved with the town’s new community center, where he offers a creative writing class. Using Cat’s detailed letters, he fictionalizes their love story to share with his students. In doing so, he at last begins to sort through his complicated grief. Micah learns he doesn’t have to erase his life with Cat in order to make new memories. He may even be falling for Chris, despite their vastly different spiritual views. With a little help from family and friends, Micah will need to open his heart to love completely again.

In this snippet, a little more about Micah’s new friend:

Micah hopped down from the chair and turned off the music. “Hey there,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

They stuck out a hand. “I’m Jude Lily. I just moved in.” They laughed, their voice a warm alto. “In many ways. I’m the new general music teacher.”

“Micah Forbes. Sixth grade language arts.” He took their hand and noticed the slight hesitation and the smallest slip of the smile.

Recovering, Jude accepted the handshake. “I saw your light on, so I figured I’d see who at least one of my neighbors will be.”

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!