Happy Saturday! New year, new goals: I have several definite projects to work on for this year. My next novel, Drumbeat, which is now with the publisher, should be back to me within six weeks or so for final revisions. It’s the third part of my Notes from Boston series. If you’ve been keeping up with those, it’s Jamie’s story. That one should be out in the spring.
I’m writing the fourth part of that series, Minuet, as well as a companion novel to An Act of Devotion called Tree of Life. I should finish both of those drafts, hopefully by summer. Then I’ll be revising an old NaNoWriMo project, which I’m keeping under wraps for now. And I’ll be participating in the Queer Sci Fi flash fiction contest again.
One of my goals for the year is to shift to broader subject matter. I’m not a great romance novelist, and I don’t want to be—I’ll leave that to the experts. I’m struggling a bit in how I view my writing and my place in the Book World. I never intended to write romance, nor did I want to write mainly about queer men. Heck, I didn’t really want to write novels; I’m a shorty writer at heart. So I’m exploring options and seeing where it takes me once I’m done with the two novels on my plate.
Anyway, in the interest of bringing you something different, here is a snippet from my recently released short story, Ashes & Alms. It’s part of the Never to Late anthology from Beaten Track. Oh, my word, if you want diverse stories all over the LGBTQ+ spectrum, go read this collection!
Shaking a little from nerves, Jo leaned in. Annie tilted her face up, and they shared their first soft kiss in forty years. Jo half expected fireworks to pop behind her, but instead, all she felt was the sweet exhilaration of finally coming home.
They parted, and Annie said, “Did you want to come in with me?”
Jo hesitated. She would have liked nothing better than to spend the rest of the night with Annie.
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!
This is very sweet. I adore good stories that center on older characters.
Me too! I’m finding over time that like in real life, I prefer my fiction to have a wide range of characters and ages.
The whole anthology is wonderful. I’m not sure I could pick a favorite because they’re all so good. And it’s really nice to have more variety than usual, with less focus on men.
I love this scene. I think I might have told you already, but everything builds so beautifully to this moment.
Aw, thanks! I’m not always sure if what’s going on in my head translates well to the page, but it seems as if in this case, it did. 🙂
This is sweet and gentle with the promise of possibly more later 😉 I’m intrigued to find out Jo’s reply, as well as the lead up to this kiss.
Thank you! I’ll be posting more of this, so hopefully I’ll be able to supply some answers. 🙂
This is a “sigh” moment. I don’t know why, but I like to read younger characters in m/m but older characters in f/f I have a weird brain so I don’t know why I’m even trying to understand 😀
We all like what we like, right? 🙂 I’ve never been able to figure out what makes the “magic formula” for me. I do love reading about older women, and writing them too!
Awww. My obsidian heart has thawed a little. <3
Ha! I’ll take that as a compliment. 🙂
Lovely and sweet!
Thank you! 🙂
Aww, such a soft and heart stopping moment!
Thank you! I do like these two together.
Aw, that’s such a sweet scene. I sense a “but…” coming on, though.
Heh, pretty much, yes.
These two are so sweet together.
Thank you! 🙂
I hear that. I sometimes wonder how I’ve ended up where I find myself. Maybe romance is a kind of due we have to pay to be able to move on and explore.
I love the sweet in this snip. But why the hesitation over spending the night?
I get the sense that a lot of writers are feeling the pull to move on and explore.
As for the hesitation…I suppose that’ll have to wait for another snippet. 🙂
Oh, that’s lovely. Forty years! Great scene. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Awww.
🙂
That was so very sweet.
🙂 Thanks!
40 yrs is a long time to go between kisses! Sweet snippet, I’m looking forward to more of these two (excuse me while I go check out that antho). <3
Yes, it’s a very long time! I hope you enjoy the anthology. It’s soooo good.
So sweet.
Thanks! 🙂