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| Cover Artist: Natasha Snow |
Silver Scars
by Posy Roberts
Length: 86,700 words
Genres: Gay (M/M), Contemporary, Romance
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A bomb destroyed high-powered lawyer Gil Lemieux’s seemingly perfect life, and PTSD has ruled every decision since the explosion that left him scarred inside and outside. Moving home with his mom is meant to be a temporary measure, just like proofreading for a medical institution is only meant to be a stopgap. But two years after taking on the wrong court case, he’s still living in fear.
Keith Kramer might be based 1,500 miles away from Gil, but their shared work brings them together—a chance meeting that’s life-changing. Gil is drawn to Keith’s good looks and intelligence, but it’s his innate understanding that Gil is more than the scars on his skin that is truly attractive. He’s everything Gil used to be and more. It blows Gil’s mind that his attraction might be returned.
Only doubt could widen the distance between them. Keith’s hopefulness, borne out of surviving some tough challenges of his own, isn’t enough to bridge the distance alone. Gil will need to believe he has as much to offer as Keith if they’re to build a life together.
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The present, today, has been the only day or hour or minute I’ve been able to face for so long because of fear.” ~Gilbert Lemieux
Thanks for hosting me today. I’m excited to be here to talk about my new book, Silver Scars.
When writing Gil, I had to balance listening to his needs while telling the story of how he and Keith fall in love in the most engaging way. After surviving an explosion and suffering from PTSD and anxiety, it was the least I could do.
Beware: writer talking about her character as if he’s a real person ahead.
This went on for days without me realizing it, because when I get in the writing groove, I don’t go back and read or edit until I run up against some obstacle. It was only then that I realized what had happened. When I read, everything written in past tense or third person sounded silted and wrong, but when I got to first person, present tense, it flowed.
Initially I wanted to go back and edit to past tense, third person because “that’s how a novel is supposed to be written.” The number of times I’ve read posts or comments from people about how much they hate first person and present tense was enough to put me off writing for a few days. I stewed about it, and eventually talked to my best friend to work through my thoughts.
What I came to realize was that I knew the story was better when I listened to Gil. His words in the quote above reveal why he talked to me that way, and when I read that line, I suddenly got it. This is Gil’s story that I’ve been gifted to write. If he needs it told this way, I’ll listen, even if I need to coax him out of his shell from time to time.
Gil is an avoider, so there were times he wanted me to write scenes with huge, glancing brushstrokes rather than delving in deep. He occasionally wanted me to tell readers what happened rather than show it.
This fits with who Gil is at the start of the story, but I was lucky enough to have my great friend and fellow writer, N. R. Walker, go through my manuscript and call him out. Once outed, I had to go back in and force Gil to get more specific. For some scenes that was really easy, but for others, he fought me tooth and nail.
I’m so glad I listened. Once I did, Gil started talking to me more, and in the end, I think Silver Scars ended up being better. You may be one of those who hates first person or present tense, but I urge you give it a try anyway. This was the only way Gil felt comfortable sharing his story, and in the end, that’s what matters.
Thanks for hosting me today. I’m excited to be here to talk about my new book, Silver Scars.
When writing Gil, I had to balance listening to his needs while telling the story of how he and Keith fall in love in the most engaging way. After surviving an explosion and suffering from PTSD and anxiety, it was the least I could do.
Beware: writer talking about her character as if he’s a real person ahead.
One thing Gil demanded was being written in present tense. I had never written fiction in present tense, so that was a new experience. While working on my first draft, I would start off the day’s writing in past tense, but a few paragraphs in, Gil had me writing in present tense. He did the same thing with first person.
This went on for days without me realizing it, because when I get in the writing groove, I don’t go back and read or edit until I run up against some obstacle. It was only then that I realized what had happened. When I read, everything written in past tense or third person sounded silted and wrong, but when I got to first person, present tense, it flowed.
Initially I wanted to go back and edit to past tense, third person because “that’s how a novel is supposed to be written.” The number of times I’ve read posts or comments from people about how much they hate first person and present tense was enough to put me off writing for a few days. I stewed about it, and eventually talked to my best friend to work through my thoughts.
What I came to realize was that I knew the story was better when I listened to Gil. His words in the quote above reveal why he talked to me that way, and when I read that line, I suddenly got it. This is Gil’s story that I’ve been gifted to write. If he needs it told this way, I’ll listen, even if I need to coax him out of his shell from time to time.
Gil is an avoider, so there were times he wanted me to write scenes with huge, glancing brushstrokes rather than delving in deep. He occasionally wanted me to tell readers what happened rather than show it.
This fits with who Gil is at the start of the story, but I was lucky enough to have my great friend and fellow writer, N. R. Walker, go through my manuscript and call him out. Once outed, I had to go back in and force Gil to get more specific. For some scenes that was really easy, but for others, he fought me tooth and nail.
I’m so glad I listened. Once I did, Gil started talking to me more, and in the end, I think Silver Scars ended up being better. You may be one of those who hates first person or present tense, but I urge you give it a try anyway. This was the only way Gil felt comfortable sharing his story, and in the end, that’s what matters.
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I'm hosting Silver Scars today because I am a huge fan of Posy's work. She writes engaging and complex characters with unique stories that come to life on the page.
Due to the highly emotional content, and my own struggles with PTSD, I was not able to finish Silver Scars. I can, however, highly recommend it to my readers, based on the real-life story telling and impressive character development I discovered in the portions I was able to read.
Sometimes not being able to finish a story is a very good thing!
Due to the highly emotional content, and my own struggles with PTSD, I was not able to finish Silver Scars. I can, however, highly recommend it to my readers, based on the real-life story telling and impressive character development I discovered in the portions I was able to read.
Sometimes not being able to finish a story is a very good thing!
Posy Roberts writes about romantic male love. Whether these characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
Posy is married to a man who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep; her daughter, a budding author and dedicated Whovian, helps her come up with character names. When Posy’s not writing, she enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make normal seem more interesting.
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Congrats on the new release Posy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elsi.
DeleteThanks for hosting me, Carly. I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with PTSD. I've been there myself, which is why I felt compelled to write it. It's probably a good thing you closed the book. Many reviewers are expressing how they felt like the characters read as real life people, so it may have triggered you. *hugs*
ReplyDelete