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Love in the Shadows
When history, romance, and the supernatural collide, can love triumph over all?
Opening an ancient trunk transforms Doctor Rolfe Almersson's life. When the spiritually-sensitive academic breaks his rules about touching an article sans gloves, fierce love wells at him. The unwrapped parchment reveals a burnt diary written by Magistrate Nels Halverson. The diary documents meeting seventeen-year-old orphan Aindrias Aster in 1701. Nels describes their eventual love affair, along with tragedies and triumphs in infatuated, intimate detail. Rolfe's obsession with his find overwhelms him. Reading about the men's evolving relationship influences Rolfe's tempestuous relationship with his lover. Will the story's romance and tragedy push Rolfe forward into romantic liberation and academic triumph or will it ruin his life?
Opening an ancient trunk transforms Doctor Rolfe Almersson's life. When the spiritually-sensitive academic breaks his rules about touching an article sans gloves, fierce love wells at him. The unwrapped parchment reveals a burnt diary written by Magistrate Nels Halverson. The diary documents meeting seventeen-year-old orphan Aindrias Aster in 1701. Nels describes their eventual love affair, along with tragedies and triumphs in infatuated, intimate detail. Rolfe's obsession with his find overwhelms him. Reading about the men's evolving relationship influences Rolfe's tempestuous relationship with his lover. Will the story's romance and tragedy push Rolfe forward into romantic liberation and academic triumph or will it ruin his life?
289 pages, ebook
First published September 25, 2013
34 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Garcia
44 books94 followersThirty years ago, I started writing m/m romance. My writing remained a secret lest my friends thought me a freak. Writing about men inserting tab A into slot B didn’t seem the norm for a female teenager. Reading Gordon Merrick, John Rechy and Larry Kramer helped me fill in informational gaps. Yes, I read these books in my bedroom.
As the years progressed and I discovered my sexual path, I still wrote m/m romance, although the stories progressed from lurking in notebooks to hiding on the computer.
Running B-Side, an indie music magazine, helped develop my dialogue and description skills. While traveling to interview bands, writing fiction percolated in the background. Traveling also offered me new backdrops and locations for my stories.
Now I am glad I kept the writing faith. Six published novellas and novels later, my life is a fun quandary of too many stories hindered by slow typing skills. I accept the silly challenge.
When not obsessing over unique ways to describe erotic encounters, I enjoy reading, gardening or more like trying not to kill everything, traveling, arguing politics and teaching my house bunnies tricks. Unfortunately, the furry furies refuse to answer e-mails or blog posts. They also refuse to clean their litter boxes. Brats. I enjoy cooking for my beloved partner because she endures the endless experiments with grace.
I hope my manic devotion to words and romance connects with my readers. Is that a sincere enough ending? Drat, the sentiment needs work. Blame my sloppy muse.
Now for my bio’s promo section:
In 2011, Dreamspinner Press released the romantic Serpent and Elf fantasy Canes and Scales, the dark comedy To Save A Shining Soul, sad short Baron’s Last Hunt and the sci-fi dramedy Divine Devine’s Love Song, although I don’t think readers know about Divine. My next short novella, Love in Focus, was released as part of DPS’s Time is Eternity anthology. Although no animals were harmed in the story, cats did not like it.
Silver Publishing unleashed sexy incubus Amando and his story Temptation of the Incubus in October 2011. An Elf for All Centuries, introducing sexy, bratty Prince Fabion, released on May 26 through Silver with lovely reviews in tow. Huzzah! It also made at least one top ten list. Cool.
Cupid Knows Best, my comedic contemporary Dreamspinner release in October 2012, is my latest effort. I think I offended a few more cats. What can I say; my hero has hamsters. Guess that's not heroic enough for the masses.
As the years progressed and I discovered my sexual path, I still wrote m/m romance, although the stories progressed from lurking in notebooks to hiding on the computer.
Running B-Side, an indie music magazine, helped develop my dialogue and description skills. While traveling to interview bands, writing fiction percolated in the background. Traveling also offered me new backdrops and locations for my stories.
Now I am glad I kept the writing faith. Six published novellas and novels later, my life is a fun quandary of too many stories hindered by slow typing skills. I accept the silly challenge.
When not obsessing over unique ways to describe erotic encounters, I enjoy reading, gardening or more like trying not to kill everything, traveling, arguing politics and teaching my house bunnies tricks. Unfortunately, the furry furies refuse to answer e-mails or blog posts. They also refuse to clean their litter boxes. Brats. I enjoy cooking for my beloved partner because she endures the endless experiments with grace.
I hope my manic devotion to words and romance connects with my readers. Is that a sincere enough ending? Drat, the sentiment needs work. Blame my sloppy muse.
Now for my bio’s promo section:
In 2011, Dreamspinner Press released the romantic Serpent and Elf fantasy Canes and Scales, the dark comedy To Save A Shining Soul, sad short Baron’s Last Hunt and the sci-fi dramedy Divine Devine’s Love Song, although I don’t think readers know about Divine. My next short novella, Love in Focus, was released as part of DPS’s Time is Eternity anthology. Although no animals were harmed in the story, cats did not like it.
Silver Publishing unleashed sexy incubus Amando and his story Temptation of the Incubus in October 2011. An Elf for All Centuries, introducing sexy, bratty Prince Fabion, released on May 26 through Silver with lovely reviews in tow. Huzzah! It also made at least one top ten list. Cool.
Cupid Knows Best, my comedic contemporary Dreamspinner release in October 2012, is my latest effort. I think I offended a few more cats. What can I say; my hero has hamsters. Guess that's not heroic enough for the masses.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 4, 2015
Honestly, when I first read the blurb a while ago, I dismissed it, thinking it wasn't for me because it mixes two genres: historical and contemporary and I'm not usually a fan ... but I'm so glad I gave it a chance because "Love in the Shadows" is such an exquisite gem of a story!
This novel is actually two stories linked together. The historic part is set in the early 1700s in New York then in the Carolina colonies, in Boston and in Sweden. The contemporary one is set in Stockholm, Sweden.
S.A. Garcia's narrative flows smoothly with a languid build, neither boring nor too slow. All the characters are well rounded, beautifully integrated across time with an emphasis on emotion and connection. The settings are described in wonderful detail and it has such a strong sense of place.
The author has certainly used a lot of historical research and authentic details for her storyline. The 18th century dialogues and phrasing are FANTASTIC and it gives the characters’ speech a sense of authenticity.
The relationship between Nels and young Aindrias (the 18th century's couple) is a slow burner and is wonderfully portrayed as it evolves leisurely from friendship into love. It's done very convincingly and of course their relationship can never be discovered!
Nels and Aindrias's story is incredibly romantic, beautiful, sad and had been completely forgotten until a passionate and lively 21st Century couple (Rolfe and Pet!) push them toward the light ... I totally recommend this book!
"Before he slipped into the exhibit’s back room, Rolfe gazed up at the large sketches of the two men rendered by a talented artist. Nels’s rugged face seemed a little generic, but Rolfe knew fair Aindrias looked wonderful. What a beautiful man."
"His brave new companions stood ready for their second chance. Tonight, their love in the shadows flared free for all to see."
This novel is actually two stories linked together. The historic part is set in the early 1700s in New York then in the Carolina colonies, in Boston and in Sweden. The contemporary one is set in Stockholm, Sweden.
S.A. Garcia's narrative flows smoothly with a languid build, neither boring nor too slow. All the characters are well rounded, beautifully integrated across time with an emphasis on emotion and connection. The settings are described in wonderful detail and it has such a strong sense of place.
The author has certainly used a lot of historical research and authentic details for her storyline. The 18th century dialogues and phrasing are FANTASTIC and it gives the characters’ speech a sense of authenticity.
The relationship between Nels and young Aindrias (the 18th century's couple) is a slow burner and is wonderfully portrayed as it evolves leisurely from friendship into love. It's done very convincingly and of course their relationship can never be discovered!
Nels and Aindrias's story is incredibly romantic, beautiful, sad and had been completely forgotten until a passionate and lively 21st Century couple (Rolfe and Pet!) push them toward the light ... I totally recommend this book!
"Before he slipped into the exhibit’s back room, Rolfe gazed up at the large sketches of the two men rendered by a talented artist. Nels’s rugged face seemed a little generic, but Rolfe knew fair Aindrias looked wonderful. What a beautiful man."
"His brave new companions stood ready for their second chance. Tonight, their love in the shadows flared free for all to see."
Displaying 1 of 1 review