Rainbow Snippets is a facebook group where members post six sentences of a LGBT work, their own or in promotion of someone else, together with a link to the group page. The link to this post is then posted on the group page.
The idea is that readers go to the thread and sample the work of multiple authors then have the opportunity to open discussions with the authors either on their post or generally.
Today’s snippet comes from my latest release, SHADE’s CHAMPION which is a young adult book about two young people with mental health problems. Here is the blurb
Shade has been kept in the dark for eight long years. Now he’s facing a world that terrifies him. A world that seems to hold no place for him.
When the authorities are unable to find a home for Shade, Penny, reluctantly accepts him into the secure school she manages, despite thinking it’s the wrong place for him. Penny fears for his safety among the other troubled children. In an attempt to forestall the disaster she predicts will happen she appoints one of them as his champion.
Dory, an engaging seventeen year old with mental health issues, is proud to be chosen as Shade’s champion and throws his heart and soul into the job. In doing so he is forced to face the thing he fears most – his own emotions.
An unexpected friendship begins to grow into something more, until a spiteful act tears them apart and leaves them broken.
When Dory falls ill, Shade is forced to face his demons and struggles to find the strength and courage he needs to fight for the right to love, and to be there for his champion when he needs him most.
In this snippet, Dory has just woken Shade from a deep sleep because he was bored. Shade is confused and reacts in the only way he knows how. It catches Dory entirely by surprise, and his strict control, instilled by hours of counselling, drugs and therapy, to stop the wild excesses of uncontrolled emotion that almost saw Dory locked up – in prison or worse.
Suppressed sexual urges he’d kept under strict control surged through him, and he threw himself into the kiss with desperate hunger. When Shade’s hand slipped under his Tshirt and stroked the hot skin on his back he almost lost it. Almost. But something was off. Something wasn’t right. Shade was whimpering, but it wasn’t with desire, and the kiss tasted salty. Concern cut through his endorphin-drugged mind, and he raised his head to find Shade was crying. It hit him like a slap in the face, and he struggled out of Shade’s embrace
Awww poor guys
It does get better for them. Then it gets worse. Then it gets better.
Looking forward to the final ‘better.’
What an intense moment between them. I’m glad Dory recognized that something didn’t feel right.
Dory believes he’s not allowed to feel anything. He’s a 17 year old boy so of course his hormones are sending him all over the place but hes got a problem with controlling his feelings so he’s rationalized that he’s not allowed to have any and that if he gives in to his urges he’s going to end up raping someone. Of course that’s not what the professionals intend at all and he soon learns that. After that it all gets better for him
Intense and sweet at the same time. Nice snip! 🙂
Thank you. That’s a pretty good description of Dory, actually 🙂
Intense and wrenching.
Thank you. Next week I’ll choose one that’s less intense 🙂
It’s nice to see Dory was able to stop things when it felt wrong. These two go through such a rollercoaster ride along the way.
They do 🙂 But it was all worth it in the end.
Powerful subject matter and I love the way you write!
Thank you! That means a lot. I don’t write fluff although I sometimes really wish I could
So sad. I think I can guess why Shade is crying. 🙁
Next time I’m going to post a positive one, promise 🙂 Don’t want people to get the impression the book is all doom and gloom,
Such a wrenching snippet.