Check out my interview with FRANCIS XAVIER at Examiner.com where we chat about my new book A Bell For Andy. Here’s the link to the interview: http://www.examiner.com/article/writer-gl-roberts-discusses-her-new-book-a-bell-for-andy
And check out Xavier’s other articles and interviews at http://www.examiner.com/fringe-artists-in-los-angeles/francis-xavier.
Thanks Xavier!! And thank you to all my blog followers. Without YOU I’m not possible. :)
4 Stars! Joyfully Jay reviews A Bell for Andy
Brian and Andy became instant friends the moment they met in 1950s Boston. They attended the same Catholic school, shared a passionate interest in Ireland, and even shared a hospital room when they both had Scarlet Fever. They grew up having the same intense dreams that took place in a time they had not lived or studied about, involving people they had never met. Their need to be near each other was something they could not explain…
read more here:
JoyfullyJay.com
The first published review of Light and Shadow is here!
Impressions…of a reader…on romance & more has posted a review of my latest m/m romance novella. Here is an excerpt from the review:
Light and Shadow by G.L. Roberts is a complicated romance between two men who connect and recognize each other as soul mates almost as soon as they meet. Roberts sells this connection as well as the growing physical attraction that develops as the romance progresses. The conflict comes in when the third party involved won’t step aside and will do anything and goes to great lengths to stay in the picture.
…Roberts’ romance is moody and atmospheric with a descriptive narrative that is quite beautiful at times. I specifically love her rendering of the Oregon Coast, the small town with its wonderful residents and her depiction of the lighthouse. As a reader, I was transported to the place. The story is narrated mostly from Cody’s perspective, and while there is dialog, narrative prevails.
…as a whole I found Light and Shadow to be an interesting romance that presented a bit more than the usual conflicts, a good long-term resolution that worked well for all concerned, and a beautifully moody and rich atmosphere that captured my attention.
Category: LGBT/Gay Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Seventh Window Publications/November 2012
See the entire review here: Impressions
Light and Shadow may be purchased at Seventh Window, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
My manuscript, Light and Shadow, another M/M Romance novella, will be published by Seventh Window Publications later this year. The contemporary story set on the rugged Oregon coast, in an abandoned lighthouse, takes in all the sea can deliver. Fresh air, brilliant light, star filled nights, and…dangerous liaisons. One man’s hope for finding solace, is turned into a pursuit for love, holding out for nothing less than another man’s partner. Love’s call, like that of the sea, cannot be denied, and the lonely man gives his heart away.
Excerpt from Light and Shadow:
Working kept Cody’s mind from thinking about Nick, but only just barely. He would stop to pick up another tool, or grab some more screws, then look out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of Nick walking up the path to the lighthouse. He constantly had to stem the urge to run up to the lantern room, and watch Nick on the beach from one of the large windows. He knew Nick was still down there because the rental car was still parked next to his truck.
Nick had come out to the lighthouse, after having found Ray still asleep, and had left him a note telling him where he had gone for the day. When he arrived at the lighthouse, Nick told Cody he wanted time alone to think, and immediately went down to the beach, leaving Cody to wish he had followed Nick down to the sand and surf. Instead, Cody went inside and slowly worked on the finishing touches to the bathroom, installing the replica mast lights above the mirror over the sink.
The bathroom was finally finished, and Cody stepped back to look at his handiwork. The porcelain tiles, laid in a brick pattern on the wall, gleamed a bright white with the dark cobalt blue border adding just the right amount of contrast, and the brass of the fixtures adding to the nautical feel of the room. Cody had removed the square window someone had hastily installed after a particularly heavy wind took out the original, and installed a round port hole window that resembled the one in the pictures of the original lighthouse, from its dedication ceremony of 1870. The first project of many was completed, and he smiled at the hard work it took and the feeling of accomplishment. He was busy admiring his new bathroom and did not hear Nick enter through the open kitchen door.
“Nice job,” Nick said, as he slipped his arms around Cody’s waist and pulled him back against his chest. Cody started at Nick’s voice, but Nick held him close. “Just me.”
“Well, just me, what are you doing?” Cody asked, and sank back against Nick’s chest. He placed his arms over Nick’s, and held on to him.
“Admiring the view,” Nick replied. “That really is good work. I especially like the brass fixtures. Very handsome and seaworthy.” Nick moved his head to look around Cody at the bathroom.
Cody turned his head slightly, kissed Nick’s cheek, and heard Nick respond with a soft moan. “You’ve been down on the sand for a long time,” Cody said. “Want a glass of wine or something to eat?” Cody felt Nick’s embrace tighten, then he felt Nick’s lips on his exposed neck; the soft warm kisses sending a shockwave through his body. He grasped Nick’s arms and let himself be kissed. Nick kissed the right side of Cody’s neck, then the back of his neck and around to the left side where he lingered. Cody felt a thrill running through his body, the thrill of being in someone’s arms again, and the building excitement of an unspoken need. He started to turn in Nick’s arms, wanting to kiss Nick’s lips, but was held firm by Nick.
“No,” Nick said in Cody’s ear. “Let me enjoy you from here for now. I only have a moment longer, then I need to get back to town. You have no cell phone reception out here,” he said, and chuckled against Cody’s neck.
“Yeah, and right now, I’m really glad,” Cody replied, and settled back in Nick’s arms, content for the moment to be held. He felt Nick’s kisses begin the traverse of his neck again, this time left to right. When Nick stopped at Cody’s right side, Cody squeezed Nick’s arms.
“I made a decision,” Nick said, and released his hold on Cody.
“I gathered that,” Cody replied, then turned to look at Nick. “You just kissed me to say hello or goodbye. Which is it?” Cody knew the answer before Nick spoke. It had been coming since their first breakfast alone at Linda’s place, where he had heard it in Nick’s voice as they spoke about Chicago, and Nick’s need to get away from the city. The only thing he did not know was if Nick’s plans included him.
“You already know,” Nick said, and smiled at Cody.
Nick took a step closer to Cody, and Cody felt the room fade out of view. He felt Nick’s lips on his, Nick’s hand on his, Nick’s grip anchoring him in the kiss. He placed his left hand at the back of Nick’s head, then pulled him close, and let the room, the wind, the sea, all disappear. He took Nick’s tongue with his and slowly pulled it into his mouth, sucking it slowly and deliberately, revealing his need to Nick. He felt Nick responding to the kiss and he reached for Nick’s belt with his right hand. Nick’s hand reached for Cody’s waist. The kiss deepened, and each of them gasped and moaned with the intense pleasure of their wet tongues and mouths, responding to each other’s need. Nick took Cody’s hand from his belt and unzipped his jeans, then he guided Cody’s hand to his growing cock. Cody responded and pushed his own body hard against Nick, and felt Nick unbutton his pants seeking Cody’s own burgeoning erection. Nick found Cody hot and hard, and as his hands moved over Cody’s cock, it twitched in his hands.
Scar Tissue was given an A- rating by Katie over at BookingIt.net! Check it out here: http://www.bookingit.net/?p=3305
Scar Tissue by G.L. Roberts
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Bob has been a DEA officer for three years who is attracted to a new CIA recruit, Mike. But, in 1976, if Bob is caught in a relationship with another man, his government career could be over. Is the quiet Mike even interested and is he worth it?
Although I found the premise a bit odd (1970s gay men? I kept picturing an overabundance of moustaches), the story between Bob and Mike got under my skin.
Once I got over my fear of moustaches, I found the setting intriguing since most psychologists had recently declared homosexuality not a mental illness and a new wave of people could express whom they were. Of course, many were very careful to not be too forthcoming with their sexual preferences.
This little discourse leads me to Bob. He is not necessarily openly gay, but he does not hide, either. Importantly, Bob is a character with depth that is a Vietnam vet and still recovering from the shocks of war and losing friends.
Then walks in Mike. He is a military sniper who also was in the war, but Mike has his own issues that pre-date his military service. I liked how Bob realized that Mike would not take to fast and hot, so Bob tries to take things slowly. Of course, the best laid plans…
The relationship between Bob and Mike is rather sweet, even if a bit awkward mainly because they do not want to openly court each since their careers could be in jeopardy. But, their tiptoeing only adds tension and excitement. Then, when the relationship looks like it is going to take off, there is a twist in the plot, which adds more dimensions to both characters.
Scar Tissue surprised me. The setting of the story is unusual, the characters different from the norm, and their relationship is actually quite sweet. I liked how Bob and Mike are both manly-type men who try out a relationship and how their story is very different from the romantic status quo. Give this one a try!
BookingIt Grade: A-
Publisher: Seventh Window
Pages: 71
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Buy from Seventh Window Publications. It is also available at the Amazon Kindle ebook store: Amazon
Book Description
It was 1976, the year of the .38 Special, the .45 Magnum, Cold War threats and Vietnam Vets returning state side looking for jobs. It was also a time when being gay could get you fired from your job, beat up or killed. This was especially true for Bob Elkins, third year DEA officer who finds himself deeply attracted to CIA newcomer Mike Wells. Although Mike returns Bob’s romantic gestures, he goes cold when it comes time to become intimate. Is Mike playing with Bob or is there something more going on? To find out, Bob must put his reputation and job on the line and risk everything.
Tags: gl roberts
This entry was posted by katie on Sunday, July 1st, 2012 at 10:51 am and is filed under Contemporary Romance, M/M. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Scar Tissue grabs Four Stars from Booked Up. Read the review here or check it out on Booked Up:
http://boookup.blogspot.com/2012/03/gl-roberts-scar-tissue.html
Summary:
It was 1976, the year of the .38 Special, the .45 Magnum, Cold War threats and Vietnam Vets returning state side looking for jobs. It was also a time when being gay could get you fired from your job, beat up or killed. This was especially true for Bob Elkins, third year DEA officer who finds himself deeply attracted to CIA newcomer Mike Wells. Although Mike returns Bob’s romantic gestures, he goes cold when it comes time to become intimate. Is Mike playing with Bob or is there something more going on? To find out, Bob must put his reputation and job on the line and risk everything.
The year was 1976, a time when being gay meant you must hide in the closet or risk losing everything.
Reviewer: Carolina Fruitfly
Scar Tissue is the story of DEA agent Bob Elkins. Bob is gay in the 70s, a time where being gay is NOT safe, especially in his line of work. Former military, Vietnam vet, the 70s are not a good time to be gay, and it is REALLY not a good time to be a gay cop.
Bob is very careful in his work life. He works hard to make sure no one has an inkling of his private life, and only a few people actually know. Then one day on the firing range, he meets Mike Wells, a new recruit for the CIA. He and Mike seem to form an instant connection, and start to spend more and more time together. Bob really likes Mike, and he wants him badly, but there is a problem – Mike is very hot and cold. One step forward, three steps back, that is how Bob is known to describe his relationship with Mike. Mike is ok with doing things sexually TO Bob, but he is very quick to back away any time Bob tries to return the favor. We have to wait patiently with Bob to find out what is wrong with Mike.
What I thought was going to be either a mystery or a tale of gaybashing or hiding, turned out to be a very sweet story of the growing love between Bob and Mike, and the patience Bob has to call on, while he gets to know Mike better, and learns the horrors in Mike’s past. The story wasn’t very long, and I did feel it could have done with a bit more time spent on the romance, rather than going with the “six months later” thing, and skimming over most of the buildup. I enjoyed both characters, and the author did an excellent job of putting us into the era, with the shag carpeting, rotary phones, and avocado green appliances. And aren’t we all glad that era is over?
All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I’m giving it a solid 4 stars.
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Thank You Feliz!
Guest Reviewer, Feliz, posted his review for my book Scar Tissue. Check out the review posted here and at :
http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2012/02/28/scar-tissue/
FEBRUARY 28, 2012 
7 COMMENTS / 204 VIEWS
Title: Scar Tissue
Author: GL Roberts
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Cover Artist: n/a
Amazon Buy Link:Scar Tissue
Genre: historical (1970′s)
Length: Novella (152 pdf pages)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
A Guest Review by Feliz
Summary Review: This book was a surprising read, not quite what I expected, but nevertheless enjoyable in a different way .
The Blurb: It was 1976, the year of the .38 Special, the .45 Magnum, Cold War threats and Vietnam Vets returning state side looking for jobs. It was also a time when being gay could get you fired from your job, beat up or killed. This was especially true for Bob Elkins, third year DEA officer who finds himself deeply attracted to CIA newcomer Mike Wells. Although Mike returns Bob’s romantic gestures, he goes cold when it comes time to become intimate. Is Mike playing with Bob or is there something more going on? To find out, Bob must put his reputation and job on the line and risk everything.
The year was 1976, a time when being gay meant you must hide in the closet or risk losing everything.
The Review: When I picked up this book, I expected its main focus to be on the conflict of a relationship between two gay men who must both remain closeted due to the restraints of their time and environment. I expected angst, and drama, and given the main characters’ professions, perhaps something along the lines of a little spy action. Instead I got a character-driven romance between two winsome, down-to-earth men who were firmly rooted in their time and society.
The need for secrecy is very much a part of both characters’ everyday life, particularly when it comes to their professional lives as an agent of the newly founded DEA or, respectively, as a CIA recruit. Both were in the military before, the experience honing their awareness for caution as well as their ability to hide. Their military time also issued them with some rather haunting memories, especially Bob; there’s one particularly heartbreaking flashback of him in Vietnam where he holds his dying lover in his arms, unable to give the man any further comfort because they are in company.
However, Bob has long ago made his peace with this aspect of his life. In private, among his roommate and friends, he’s out – he’s quite good at compartmentalizing, although the borders blur on occasion, namely with his friend Ray, who happens to be Mike’s instructor at Langley. Ray is surprisingly open-minded, even supportive of Bob’s and Mike’s budding relationship. Ray’s only worry is whether their relationship might jeopardize possible joint missions in the future, but he takes Bob’s negative reassurances at face value and goes with it. Mike is slow to trust, but once he does, he does so implicitly and doesn’t think twice about following Bob’s lead.
To my pleasant surprise, the necessity to keep their relationship a secret was not a source of angst between Bob and Mike, nor was the reason why it took them almost a year to consummate their loving relationship. While both Bob and Mike were constantly aware of the need to be cautious and discreet in public, this was rather a fact of life to both of them. Something that just had to be heeded, like looking left and right before crossing a street. They built their relationship around it and despite of it, which I found endearingly realistic and totally appropriate for the spirit of the times this is set in.
The 70′s were not as liberal as the 60′s had been, but not as narrow-minded as the 80′s turned out to become; in many ways, this decade was a time of changes. Scar Tissuegenerally conveyed a keen sense of its time, not only through the main character’s mindsets, but also with its attention to detail. Clothes, cars, music, political events mentioned, everything added up to a harmonious scenery in front of which the story could unfold.
The actual conflict revolved around facts in Mike’s past, and it was beautiful to watch how they both worked at getting the old specters out of their way. I found that Bob’s patience amounted to that of a saint, with all the hot and cold and the mixed signals Mike put him through without ever giving a viable reason for this behavior. Then, once Mike summoned enough courage to come clear, Bob reacted in an all too human yet comprehensible way that in turn demanded trust and patience from Mike. Nicely done.
This was what I’d call a quiet story, no blowing-up of things, no action sequences, not even outstanding drama. It wasn’t overly emotional either, though poignant in a subdued, understated way. An enjoyable read, and warmly recommended.
An abandoned lighthouse on the Pacific Northwest coast, and a disenchanted, recently single, Los Angeles architect looking to escape the fast lane. Leaving L.A. behind, he moves to a small coastal fishing village and takes possession of a neglected lighthouse. He begins renovations to the lighthouse, and soon finds the peace and quiet he long desired. All that changes on one bright summer day, when he buys a cup of coffee for a handsome stranger.
The stranger, an artist on vacation from Chicago, has lost his muse. Vacationing on the West coast with his partner, he is drawn to the soft sunlight and wants to stay on, only to discover he is trapped in a relationship with a manipulative partner unwilling to leave the Windy City. A partner who is bent on keeping his man to himself, locked away in their Chicago nest…no matter what the cost.
A late summer storm approaches the coast, and the three men find themselves caught between Light and Shadow.
My first published book Scar Tissue (find it at http://seventhwindow.com/), came out of the pages of a series of novels I have in my working files. The novels are not as yet complete, but the characters of Bob Elkins and Mike Wells began to follow me like the last rail car of a runaway train; following me even in my dreams. I knew I had to give them a book of their own. The result is the novella of how they met and the instant attraction they felt for one another.
It was 1976, the year of the .38 Special, the .45 Magnum, Cold War threats, and Vietnam Vets returning state side looking for jobs. It was also a time when being gay could get you fired from your job, beat up, or killed. This was especially true for Bob Elkins, third year DEA agent, who finds himself deeply attracted to CIA newcomer, Mike Wells. Although Mike returns Bob’s romantic gestures, he goes cold when it comes time to become intimate. Is Mike playing with Bob or is there something more going on? To find out, Bob must put his reputation and job on the line and risk everything. It was 1976, at time when being gay meant you must hide in the closet or risk losing everything.
Now that they have their own book, do you think they will get the hint and leave me to dream of other things? Not bloody likely…
Check out a nice write-up by Jeff Adams at http://www.jeffandwill.com/2012/02/11/scar-tissue-by-gl-roberts/
Thanks Jeff!
Until next time,
GL
G.L. Roberts’s books on Goodreads
GL Roberts Books 