Faithfully Yours

Happy Saturday! It’s been quite a week. Today wasn’t so bad, but earlier in the week was a bit rough. I had to make a decision to stop accepting books for reviews. It’s not one I made lightly; it’s been a while in coming. It was using too many spoons, which I need for family stuff and to put more effort into actually writing.

Speaking of which, this week’s snippet follows directly from last week’s. Chris, the minister at one of the local churches, has come to see Micah—who is confused in part because he’s not at all religious himself, though his late spouse was. Here, Chris explains why.

“We can go to my classroom,” Micah suggested.

They wound their way back to the sixth grade wing of the elementary school to Micah’s room. Inside, he offered Chris a seat at a long table then sat across from him.

“Now. What can I do for you?” Micah asked.

“I’m one of the lead volunteers on the community center’s continuing education program. I got a call from another leader that you might be interested in helping us out.”

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!

Happy Saturday! I’m enjoying my vacation and some much-needed rest after last week’s three shows. The musical went off without a hitch, though my poor younger child missed the first show due to a severe sore throat. They’ve already started rehearsals for Big Fish, the February main stage show.

This week’s snippet follows directly from last week’s. Chris has come to see Micah at the school where Micah teaches. He’s introduced himself as a minister at the local multi-denominational church. (For those familiar with the series, the church made a brief appearance in both previous novels. Micah jokingly called it “gay church.”)

“Oh. Uh…oh,” was all Micah managed. That had been Cat’s church. He took several breaths to steady himself. Chris looked vaguely familiar, but Micah couldn’t be sure; he’d only been to church with Cat a handful of times, and he hadn’t gone at all after Cat’s funeral.

“I’m sorry. I assumed this would be the best way to find you. I’m still getting reacquainted with life in a small town after living in the city for so long.” Chris smiled.

“No problem. You’re right, this is probably easier than showing up on my doorstep.” Micah let out a shaky laugh.

Chris chuckled too. “Right. Well, I was hoping to talk to you for a moment.”

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!

Well, today is the Big Day. My kids are relaxing and getting ready for three performances of High School Musical Jr. This is my older one’s last junior show. *sniff* My poor younger kid has had a cold and her voice is pretty rough today. Hoping to soothe her throat by keeping her well hydrated.

I’m skipping ahead from last week to Micah’s meeting with another new friend. I may go back to Jude later, but as this was Trans Awareness Week, we’ve been asked to post about a trans character. Micah is not, but the person he’s about to meet is. Bit longer than 6 sentences for clarity.

Out in the main foyer, a short, bald man in business casual attire was talking with the secretary. As Micah approached, he noticed the man wasn’t entirely bald after all—only on top, and he’d shaved everything else. He turned around and looked at Micah, his earrings winking in the foyer’s fluorescent lights.

“Mr. Forbes, right?” he asked.

“Uh…yes. You can call me Micah. And you are?” Micah approached and extended a hand.

“Chris Sharpe. I’m the associate pastor at the non-denominational church on the north end of town—Unity.”

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!

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!