A Thought for Every Word

Posts tagged ‘romance’

Shieldmaiden Book One

Shieldmaiden Book One: Quest for the Jewel is now available at Bella Books!

Shieldmaiden Book One: Quest for the Jewel is a YA Fantasy set among the highlands of ancient Scotland ShieldmaidenCoverjaf0329during the beginnings of the Norse invasion. Bound by traditions older than anyone can remember, Waiting Lady and Shieldmaiden Bryn of the Brae must decide whether to follow the path of her Druid ancestors or deny her heritage and follow her heart. What begins for Bryn as a leisurely summer trip to the North with the realm’s princess Thalynder, the captain of the king’s guard Arryn and Meydra the dragon companion of the princess, soon becomes an urgent quest to find the one thing that will unite all the realms of Scotland. To bring together the Picts of the North, the Clanns of the West, and the Kingdoms of the South will take nothing less than a legend. The future of a nation rides on the back of a dragon and in the heart of one young woman.

 

Shieldmaiden Book One: Quest for the Jewel available now at Bella Books!

 

 

A Bell For Andy Interview

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. :)

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Light and Shadow and other things

For my readers who have checked out my m/m romance stories, both Scar Tissue ~

check out some cool stuff on Scar Tissue here:

and A Pharaoh’s Promise (find it here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15703643-a-pharaoh-s-promise), a new novella is due out at the end of the year.  Light and Shadow will be out by the end of December, again published by Seventh Window Publications, Thanks! Ken!  It is my second novella with Seventh Window, and I am so excited to see it come to fruition.  It started out as a story about an abandoned lighthouse, then blossomed into a romance about the Lighthouse being renovated and the owner, a self described recluse, finding love of another kind, in the form of an artist visiting the small coastal town.  The Oregon coast, where this story takes place, is a part of the U.S. that is steeped in Coast Guard lore, lighthouse ghosts, and romantic wind swept beaches.  This story takes place in a small coastal village with an abandoned and neglected lighthouse.  The lighthouse is purchased by a slightly jaded, and disillusioned, architect from Los Angeles, looking for a new start.  He finds what he is looking for in the lighthouse ~ and in a tourist, who is also looking for a fresh perspective.

Fresh perspectives are something I have been looking for myself for a while now. This year I have written, A Pharaoh’s Promise, Target Acquired,  Light and Shadow, as well as a f/f fantasy, Shieldmaiden.  Shieldmaiden is the story about a young Lady in Waiting that discovers her true calling when she makes a pilgrimage to her ancestral home located in the Orkney Islands.  Her destiny, joined to the dragons that rule the skies over Scotland, finds her leading a small band of clansman to fight the invading Norsemen.  Her love for her Princess, tempts her to give up her true self and follow the Princess into a quite life of Keeps and inner court trivial pursuits.  Her decision ~ to stay and claim her birthright, or go home with the Princess ~ will affect the future of Briton. Love or Country?

I continue to write the Haiku that drives a sensual mind, and I hope that all my readers continue to enjoy, or otherwise feel moved by my work.  It is not always a happy or uplifting thought I wish to evoke.  Sometimes, the pain or angst that a piece evokes in a reader is more powerful than a pocketful of posies.

Until we meet again, be of sound mind and clear thought…

GL

Light and Shadow ~ Coming Soon

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.

Shieldmaiden ~ WIP Fantasy

My current work in progress is a F/F fantasy romance set in the highlands of Scotland when dragons ruled the air, marauders ruled the north sea, and kings were a dime a dozen.  The Heroine, Bryn, a young woman from a displaced Druid clann, comes into her own while wielding a sword to protect her love, the Princess Thalynder; thoroughly unaware that she is a Princess in her own right.   The two women, accompanied by a Captain of the King’s Royal Guard and the Princess Thalynder’s Dragon Meydra, set off on a journey to the Standing Stones of Stenness, located on the island of Orkney.  On the island, Bryn hopes to find answers to her questions about her ancestors and why they left the island.  Princess Thalynder hopes the journey will bring out her own true love, unaware of Bryn’s love.  Dancing between friendship, sex, and love, the two learn things about themselves that bring them closer together, only to discover a secret, set in the ancient Stones, that will change their lives forever.

Excerpt from Shieldmaiden

The sun was beginning to rise and the day promised to be clear and warm.  Meydra was awake long before the sun cleared the horizon and sat very still while her two charges slept peacefully against her chest.  Bryn was holding Thalynder and sometime during the night their legs and arms became entwined.  They both looked quite content.  Meydra smiled at the two and wondered if she should tell them the quest would be in vain.  She knew where Thalynder’s true love could be found, but she also knew that Bryn wanted desperately to see the Stones at Stenness.  The problem did not lie with the true love, it lie with the Stones.  In Stenness, Bryn would learn the truth about who she was and why she had to give up her dragon.  Meydra was not sure she was ready to tell that story to Bryn.  It would change many things and for the moment, Meydra liked things the way they were.  No, she decided, “I will not tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Bryn asked quietly.

“That the sun rises and you will be missed in the Keep,” Meydra whispered.

Bryn hugged Thalynder closer to her.  “I like it right here,” she said.

“So do I,” Thalynder replied with a little morning yawn.  Thalynder turned in Bryn’s arms to face her bedmate.  After a momentary hesitation and a little inhale of breath, Thalynder kissed Bryn’s mouth.

Bryn felt Thalynder’s mouth on hers and her body immediately responded.  She pulled Thalynder tight against her and slipped her hand behind Thalynder’s neck.  She returned the kiss, letting it linger until Thalynder wanted her to stop.  She moaned softly against Thalynder’s mouth.

Thalynder broke the kiss, but did not move.  She looked at Bryn and smiled, then reached up and ran her hand over Bryn’s neck.  “You are blushing my Bryn,” Thalynder said.

“That was a nice kiss, Lynder,” Bryn replied, and took Thalynder’s hand in hers.  “Why did you kiss me?”

“Because you looked so soft and beautiful in the dim light,” Thalynder said.  “And, I’ve never kissed a woman before.”

“Neither have I,” Bryn said.  Her voice was soft and her lips wet, and she realized that her mouth was not the only thing that was wet.  She blushed again, and felt the need to tack a different direction.  “Have you kissed a man?”

“Yes, many times,” Thalynder laughed.  “The male attendants my father had chosen to be my playmates when I was younger were anything but chaste.”  Her breath touched Bryn’s face.  “Have you not kissed a man, Bryn?”

“Only once,” Bryn replied.  “It was part of my instruction.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot, you druids have other areas of instruction,” Thalynder said and now her voice was thick.  “Someday you should instruct me.”  She leaned up and kissed Bryn again, this time she pushed her hand against Bryn’s breast.

Bryn’s body responded before she could think.  She returned the kiss with more desire, allowing her tongue to brush Thalynder’s lips.  She arched her back and pushed her breast hard against Thalynder’s hand, and ran her bare foot up Thalynder’s leg.  They continued to kiss and when Bryn moved to touch Thalynder’s neck, and began to undo the laces at the top of her dress, Thalynder abruptly stopped.

“No, my Bryn,” Thalynder said.  “Enough instruction for one day.”  Thalynder moved to sit up, and put back on her shoes.

Bryn rose to sit next to Thalynder.  She was winded from the excitement of having Thalynder in her arms, but began to realize it was all a game to Thalynder.  Thalynder’s inquisitive nature, her persistent quest for adventure; were her only feelings for Bryn at that moment.  Bryn sighed.  Something she had dreamt of doing for many years had happened, and it was all a game.  She lifted her tunic off the ground and shook it out before placing it over her head.  She got it over her head, and then stood with her back resting against Meydra.  Thalynder was standing at Meydra’s tail looking out over the grassy meadow between garden and Keep.  Bryn looked longingly at Thalynder’s back.  “At least I held her close,” she whispered.

Thalynder turned to look back at Bryn.  “Come on Bryn, I’m hungry and we have to prepare for our journey.”

Bryn kissed Meydra’s cheek and heard the little moan of pleasure as it rose deep inside Meydra’s throat.  She patted her shoulder, then trotted after Thalynder.  She glanced back over her shoulder as she walked under the linden arch, and watched as Meydra lifted effortlessly into the air; the only sound coming from the wind as it moved beneath her wings.

Scar Tissue Rated an A- at BookingIt!

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 ~ A Recommended Read on All Romance eBooks

Scar Tissue, my first m/m romance novella garnered these nice words from the reviewers at All Romance eBooks: “This very original novella gives you two appealing characters and a rock-solid sense of location and time, which are two ingredients inexplicably neglected in most romance fiction. The detailed location is Washington DC, which comes across with easy familiarity as if from an actual resident of the city. The unusual time period is 1976, the midpoint of a forgotten decade overshadowed by the chaotic 1960s and the materialistic 1980s.”  For the entire review and recommendation please visit them at:

http://www.arecafe.com/books/scar-tissue-by-gl-roberts/

G.L. Roberts’s books on Goodreads

Scar TissueScar Tissue

reviews: 9
ratings: 41 (avg rating 4.15)

Reviews by Booked Up

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

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Scar Tissue by GL Roberts

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

Posted by Booked UP at 1:44 PM 
Labels: 

Scar Tissue

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

Scar Tissue

G.L. Roberts’s books on Goodreads

Scar TissueScar Tissue

reviews: 9
ratings: 41 (avg rating 4.15)

 

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