The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.
I'm switching over to sharing some snippets from The Artist's Masquerade this month. Cathal is cousin to the crown prince of Tournai and son of a royal duke, and is absolutely shocked when his father tells him he has arranged a marriage for him with a relative of the emperor of Ardunn, who has for some time wanted to add Tournai to his empire. A dutiful son, Cathal goes along with the betrothal despite his misgivings, but when his bride arrives, finds himself more interested in her companion, Flavia. What he doesn't know is that Flavia is really Flavian, an artist fleeing the empire in disguise as his friend's companion. He never expected to have to keep up the charade for so long, but complications keep getting in the way. Cathal and Flavian are pulled reluctantly closer and closer, tumbling into love and trust, but the situation—Cathal's betrothal, spies infiltrating Tournai, secrets and lies—is stacked against them. Another short jump ahead to this snippet in Flavian's point of view.
He watched Cathal, focusing only on him, on the way he moved, sinuous and graceful, a bit incongruous for someone so tall and well built. He held his breath as Cathal came near, turning as Cathal passed behind him, a hairsbreadth away. Flavian’s skin prickled at the proximity, and he let out a shuddering breath when Cathal moved away again.
His hopes Cathal hadn’t noticed were dashed when Cathal glanced at him over his shoulder, a knowing smile curving his full lips. And how he wished the smile didn’t make heat curl through his middle. He could not think of Cathal in such a way, could not let him affect him so much. It was time to leave, to go back to the boring party or, better yet, back to his bedchamber where he didn’t have to deal with anyone.